Olisa Ifeajika tasks Delta LGs on anti-open grazing law

Chairmen of the 25 local government councils in Delta State have been charged to set up task forces as required by the 2021 Delta State Livestock Breeding, Rearing and Marketing Regulation Law for its effective implementation.

Executive Assistant to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Projects and Policies, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, gave the charge at a one-day Sensitization Assembly on the Anti-Open Grazing Law for the people of Ika Federal Constituency, held at Agbor on Wednesday.

Ifeajika said the law needed to be implemented, hence the need to enlighten the people on the importance of the law, and stressed the need of Livestock Management Committee of the state and local government task force to synergize in ensuring that violators of the law faced consequences of their actions.

He deplored the incessant clashes between herders and farmers and assured that implementation of the law would stem the disturbing trend.

In a paper presentation, a former lawmaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Anthony Elekeokwuri, said that the gathering was timely and would help to enlighten participants on the importance of the law in breeding and trading of livestock.

Elekeokwuri explained that the law was promulgated to regulate breeding of livestock, destruction of crops, protection of ruminants, farms, and lives and urged local government chairmen to constitute task forces to check illegal livestock rearing across the state.

He x-rayed relevant sections of the law, pointing out that it had a cure for the clashes between herders and farmers.

In their remarks, the Chairman of Ika North East, Mr Monday Odigwe; Vice Chairman of Ika South, Mrs Glory Onyedagbor, representative of Dein of Agbor, Chief Peter Idion, Dr Martins Orie and others said no offender should be spared in the enforcement of the law following the level of kidnapping, rape, killings and other criminal attitudes associated with heinous activities of arms-bearing herdsmen.

The two local governments chairmen said that bold steps had been taken to enforce the laws while the Deputy Chairman of PeoplesDemocraticParty (PDP) in thestate, Mr Moses Iduh, said Ika land had suffered untold hardship in the hands of arms-bearing herders and advocated prompt enforcement of the law.

Representative of Miyetti Allah, market women, youth groups and other leaders pledged to work with the local government councils in the implementation of the anti-grazing law.