Fifteen days after the expiration of the window provided by the Delta State Livestock Breeding Rearing and Marketing Regulation law also known as anti-open grazing law, to enable cattle owners in the state to manage their cows from embarking on open grazing, herdsmen are still seen moving their herds from one city to the other.
Speaking on the development, some Deltans who commended the state Governor for the law noted that open grazing apart from being old fashioned is a practice that has constantly led to clashes between herders and farmers as well as vehicular accidents as herders cross their cattle on the road.
They noted that apart from prosecuting offenders of open grazing, herders carrying weapons of any kind should also be arrested.
They submitted that enforcement of the open grazing law will not only bring an end to clashes between herders and farmers in the state but will also free the roads of the menace of the herders.
Governor Ifeanyi Okowa signed the Delta State Livestock Breeding Rearing and Marketing Regulation bill into law on Thursday, September 30, 2021, to join other states in the South-South region in their quest to address herders/farmers clashes in the state.
Only a few days ago, Governor Okowa inaugurated the Committee provided by the law in furtherance of its implementation.
However, despite the three months grace provided by the law to enable herders to rein in their cattle before the law comes into force on the first day of January 2022, herders are still seen engaging in open grazing in gross violation of the law.
Section 18 (2) a) of the anti-open grazing law states that an individual or group who engage in open nomadic livestock grazing outside the designated areas of the state as first offender shall pay a fine of 300,000 naira while the (B) part provides that subsequent offender, five hundred thousand naira or 1-year jail term upon conviction.
