Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on September 30, 2021, signed the anti-open grazing bill into law in Delta State.
One year after, herders still move around the state with their cattle in flagrant disregard of the anti-open grazing law.
On May 11, 17 Southern governors met in Asaba, Delta State and passed a resolution announcing a total ban on open grazing of cattle in their states and set September 1, 2021, as the deadline for each state to pass laws to authenticate the ban.
This was necessitated by the frequent clashes between herders and farmers due to the destruction of farmlands of locales by the activities of herders and the incursion of armed herders, criminals and bandits into the southern part of the country which has caused severe security challenges such that citizens were no longer able to live their normal lives.
So, when Governor Okowa on September 30, 2021, signed the anti-open grazing bill into law, most Deltans were happy and hailed him for being proactive.
One year after, herdsmen continued to ply their trade with impunity and complete disregard for the law thereby destroying crops and polluting the environment as cattle dungs litter the roads.
Some Deltans who spoke blamed the situation on poor implementation by the Delta State Government as the new law appears to be mere window dressing aimed at appealing to the electorate due to lack of capacity to enforce the law.
Others blamed it on law enforcement agents who develop cold feet in enforcing the law.
They described the anti-open grazing law as a case of the toothless bulldog that can bark but cannot bite as the enforcement still lies with the Federal Government due to its exclusive control over the Police and other law enforcement agencies.
They however expressed fears that failure to implement the law may ignite another round of farmers-herders clashes which the law was designed to address.
