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Rivers State Exco Endorses Anti-Open Grazing Bill

Published

3 years ago

July 29, 2021

Editor

Rivers State Executive Council has approved the proposed bill that will give legal backing to the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock in the State.

The endorsement was made at its meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt, which was presided over by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Wednesday.

Briefing journalists after the meeting on Wednesday, the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN) said it was impossible for the State to enforce the resolution of the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum on the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock without an enabling law.

According to him, the office of the Attorney General of the State did a draft of the legal instrument, which has been adopted by the council.

“You will all recall that on the 11 May 2021, the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum met in Asaba and in that crucial meeting adopted series of resolution, most critical of it was that open rearing and grazing of cattle will remain bannned throughout Southern Nigeria. His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State was part of that meeting.

“But we realised that we don’t have any extant law criminalising or prohibiting open grazing. And so it has become necessary for the office of the Attorney-General of Rivers state to propose a bill for consideration by the State Executive Council.

“That bill came up before council for deliberation. And after exhaustive deliberation and discussion of the highlights of that bill, the same was approved by council for onwards transmission to the Rivers State House of Assembly for necessary legislative action.”

Prof. Adangor said when the bill is passed into and assented to by the State governor, open grazing of livestock will be criminalised and prohibited in any part of the State.

“Now, when that bill is passed into law, it will criminalise, prohibit open rearing or grazing of livestock in Rivers state. If you look at that bill, it is divided into four parts.

“The first part deals with the objectives of the bill; that is what the bill intends to achieve and then also deals with the establishment of the state and local government livestock and ranch administration and control committees.”

Prof. Adangor explained that livestock rearing activities will only be permitted within the precinct of a ranch and such ranch would have been certified by the State government.

“The second part of the bill deals with establishment of ranches and issuance of ranching permit. Third parts deals with prohibition of open rearing and grazing of livestock offences and penalties therefor.

“The final part of the bill deals with miscellaneous provisions including power to arrest, detain and impound trespassing livestock and the jurisdiction of the court to try offences.

“In summary, once that bill is passed, no person will be allowed to openly graze livestock in Rivers State, except within the confines of a ranch. And to establish a ranch you must apply to the state committee for approval. And that committee having regard to the guidelines it is going to issue, may or may not issue approval to establish a ranch.”

He also said that council approved proposed Rivers State Residence Registration Agency Bill that will make it mandatory for residents of the State to be registered, including any visitor staying in the state beyond two weeks.

“We thought that it is necessary for Rivers State government to have a bill that will require mandatory registration of all residents in Rivers State. In other words, that bill makes provision for mandatory registration by every person who lives and does business in Rivers State.

“That bill is going to establish an agency that will superintendent the implementation of that bill. So if you come to Rivers state and you are going to stay in the state for a period of more than 2 weeks, you will be bound to register.

“Of course, you can register in person or register electronically. And if you fail to register, that constitute an offence under the bill when passed into law.”

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Fred Kpakol also addressed the journalists and said that council approved the construction of a modern abattoir at Mgbuosimini in Rumueme of Obio-Akpor Local Government area of the State.

According to him, the new abattoir will be an integrated facility sitting on a 21 plot of land by the seashore and provide healthier beef for Rivers residents.

Related Topics:Open Grazing Ranches Rivers State

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Breaking: Wike Plans to Attend Thursday’s PDP NEC Meeting

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

The immediate past Governor of Rivers State, and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, may have concluded plans to attend the much advertised National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), billed to hold on Thursday, in Abuja.

Impeccable source, who is in the know, told The Boss that the minister, whose membership of the PDP is yet to be revoked even as he frolicks with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and serving in the President Bola Tinubu government as a minister.

The Source told The Boss that Wike’s impending presence at the NECeeting on Thursday is not unconnected with plans, already hatched with some governors, to weaken the opposition PDP.

“Yes, we have on good authority that FCT minister, Wike is planning to attend the NEC meeting tomorrow all in a bid to weaken the fabrics of the PDP, and pave the way for the continuation of the Tinubu administration come 2027, and by extension, relapse Nigeria to a full blown one party state.

“From every indication, Wike and his co-travellers, are bent on unleashing the same crisis ravaging the third force, Labour Party, and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso’s Nigerian National People’s Party (NNPP) on the PDP for the APC to remain the only political party in the country, and ensure that Tinubu has no challenger, come 2027,” the Source said.

It would be recalled that Wike has boasted over and again that there’s no opposition against Tinubu’s re-emergence in 2027, and that they have made sure of that. He has been compensated with the Ministerial job after he withdrew support for his party, and supported the APC and Tinubu to emerge as national government.

The Source further revealed that in the attempt to actualize the intended one party state, a lot of funding is ongoing to ensure that concerned stakeholders are ‘settled’ handsomely.

Wike, prior, during and after the 2023 general elections, has been floating in between the two major political parties; the APC and the PDP. While he claim to still be a member of the PDP, he is functioning as a minister in an APC government, mocking the inability of his party to discipline him.

Political stakeholders have concluded that the outcome of Thursday’s PDP NEC meeting will determine the path Nigeria’s political trajectory will take, and that it may portend the end of multi-party system and political democracy if Wike succeeds in his plan.

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Bribery, Corruption: APC Suspends National Chairman, Ganduje

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Eric

The All Progressives Congress ward in Ganduje, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area, has suspended the party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The party ward legal adviser, Halliru Gwanzo, announced the suspension while addressing newsmen in Kano State on Monday.

Gwanzo cited allegations of bribery against Ganduje levelled by the Kano State Government as the reason for the suspension.

“We decided to suspend Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje from the party due to the seriousness of the allegations against him,” Gwanzo said.

Meanwhile, efforts to contact the Chief Press Secretary to the APC National Chairman, Mr Edwin Olufo, failed as his mobile phone was unreachable.

Headline

Akpabio Commits to Collaboration with Tinubu, Governor Umo Eno

Published

1 week ago

April 12, 2024

Admin

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stated his commitment to working closely with Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governor Umo Eno to ensure the delivery of democratic benefits to the people of Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio stated this in his country home, Ukana, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom, while briefing his constituents on the journey so far as their representative in the red chamber.

He assured the people of Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District of his commitment to their welfare in appreciation of their total support for him, President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in last year’s election.

The Highpoint of the constituency briefing was the distribution of over 10,000 bags of rice and other essentials for his constituents from the wards, to the local governments.

A statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, quoted Akpabio as saying, “I am here once again, to thank you for standing by me, our President and the party, before, during and even after last year’s elections. I have come to say thank you and also bring Renewed Hope to you all.

“As the President is doing his own, the Senate President is also doing his bit and being complemented by the state governor, Akwa Ibom would be the better for it. We have finished elections and politics, we are now into governance. The governor of the state must touch you, because he is the governor of all the people in the state irrespective of political affiliation.

” As I am touching you now from the political angle, I will also touch the state without any political party affiliation. Most of the projects we are putting in place would be used by people resident in the state. Relax, things are getting better.”

The former Governor of the state, assured his constituents that his current position as the Senate President would be used for the development of the state in collaboration with the President and the Akwa Ibom State Governor.

Hear him: This Senate President is not the one that would be fighting the state government. I will collaborate with , I will collaborate with , to make the state better for us all. We cannot be out of government for a long time. You have to go to a government that carries you along”

Akpabio promised to work for his constituents and Nigeria with all his strength, noting that, “as the President of the Senate, I am for the Southern region and the entire country. I may not come here regularly to tell you what I have been doing for you, but you will be feeling the impact on way or the other. Our unemployed youths would be gainfully employed. I will construct a mini stadium in all the local governments in the district, for our youths to develop their sporting potentials. ”