By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
As the federal government is still pressing ahead with the review of Grazing Reserves in 25 states of the country, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ahmed Raji has stated pointedly that it lacks the power to superintend over lands as the Land Use Act has vested such power in the state governors.
He also accused the political elites of double standards in the issue of open grazing, saying that they have allowed nomadic lifestyle to fester to the detriment or wellbeing of the Nigerian people.
Speaking on Channels Television breakfast programme ‘Sunrise Daily’ on Tuesday, the Constitutional Lawyer disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to the recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch, 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, and to determine the levels of encroachment.”
According to him, the President may be acting outside the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria if he goes ahead with the recommendation of the said committee, pointing out that federal government has no power over state lands as longer Land Use Act is still in operation.
Said he: “The federal government may be progressing in error if it embarks on creating grazing routes for herders in Nigeria of today. By the way, where are the 25 states they are talking about. As far as I know, the old Nothern Region has 19 states in Nigeria of today and maybe, one or two more states but how can Northern Nigeria law will be used to govern the Southern part of Nigeria”.
“Look, Land Use Act has given State Governors the powers to manage the lands for the benefits of their people. Land Use Act is like the Constitution of Nigeria and the committee cannot recommend that the federal government should act outside the Law and the Constitution’.
Raji wondered why the federal government will embark on creating grazing routes for herders at the time the entire country is engulfed in herders-farmers clashes.
Said he: “Why creating grazing routes for herders at this time when killer-herders are committing serious crimes against Nigerians. Why now, why this time?”
Reminded that the federal government is pushing ahead with the grazing routes despite opposition from many quarters, the senior lawyer said; “where will federal government implement its Grazing Route Policy when the states that control the bulk of the lands of about 95% have said big no to Open Grazing in their states”.
“The Land Use Act especially Section 22 already has provision for ranching and says anyone who needs to do ranching can get about 500 hectares of land from the Local Government Authorities while from 5000 hectares must seek the permission of the State Governors. The lands belongs to states and not federal government”.
Meanwhile, the SAN has blamed the herders-farmer clashes on the elite who he said are encouraging open grazing for their selfish reasons even as he accused them of collaboration to foster nomadic lifestyle on the poor herders.
“How many of our elites today will allow their own children or wards trek with animals from Nguru to Port Harcourt in Rivers state on foot. It’s man’s inhumanity to man. It cannot be allowed to happen in Nigeria of 2021.
“In the past years, people trek from Nigeria to Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia but today they dare not contemplating even to go to Mecca by road or vehicle. So why don’t our elites change how animals move from place to place”, Raji questioned.
Prompt News reports that Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, confirmed in a statement last Thursday in Abuja that President Buhari has approved the recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch, 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, and to determine the levels of encroachment.”
He also said the committee which was chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, recommended among others, the collection of field data collection on 368 Grazing Reserves across 25 states to assess encroachment and encroachers, stakeholder engagements and sensitization.
He noted that the Committee also recommended production of maps and geo-mapping/tagging of sites, analysis of findings and report preparations as well as design appropriate communication on grazing reserves and operations.
Members of the committee include, Governor of Kebbi State and Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council, Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Ebonyi and Chairman of NEC Sub-Committee for National Livestock Transformation Plan, David Umahi, and Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu.
Others are; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammad Mahmood and Deputy Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye.
