DELTA State will begin to enforce its ban on open grazing by September, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said today.
The Governor, who is also the Chairman, South-South Governors’ Forum, made this disclosure through his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, while stating that the state government had begun work to enact a law to prohibit open grazing in the state.
Okowa noted that the Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Bill, 2021 was already before the State House of Assembly and that the bill had scaled first reading at the parliament and expressed optimism that it would be passed and made ready for his assent before the September deadline set by the Southern Governors’ Forum during the recent meeting of the members in Lagos.
The bill, which passed second reading today, titled ‘Delta State Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation’, sponsored by member representing Ughelli South Constituency, Reuben Izeze, and 24 other lawmakers, was debated during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Sheriff Oborevwori.
Izeze opened the debate on the merit of the bill, saying it was long overdue due to the activities of killer herdsmen, adding that it would protect every community in the state.
He said that the bill, when passed and assented to, would help to regulate movement and other activities of livestock dealers in every part of the state.
