Southern Governors Ban On Open Grazing Is Irreversible – Gov. Akerdolu Vows
…Challenges AGF Malami to approach the court
BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Southern Governors Forum has declared that its decision to ban open grazing has come to stays, stressing that it would be enforced with vigour.
Chairman of the Forum, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who stated the position of the Forum on Thursday while responding to the statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, said that comparing the anachronism, which has led to loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not only strange, but annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.
Governor Akeredolu, in a statement made available to Forefront News described as most unfortunate that AGF Malami is unable to distill issues as expected of a Senior Advocate, stressing that; “Nothing can be more disconcerting”.
He further said; “This outburst should, ordinarily, not elicit response from reasonable people who know the distinction between a legitimate business that is not in anyway injurious and a certain predilection for anarchy. “Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.
“Mr Malami is advised to approach the court to challenge the legality of the Laws of the respective States banning open grazing and decision of the Southern Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people.
“We shall be most willing to meet him in Court,” Governor Akerdolu said.
The Ondo governor was responding to a press statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN on the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum to ban open grazing in their respective States.
In the statement, the AGF was quoted to have said that the reasoned decision, among others, is akin to banning all spare parts dealers in the Northern parts of the country and is unconstitutional.
