Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed a bill on the prohibition of open grazing in the state into law.
Akwa Ibom joined Rivers, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ekiti, Abia, Lagos and Enugu among other states that have enacted similar law.
Southern governors in Nigeria had reached a resolution on July 5, 2021, in Lagos for member states to enact legislation against open grazing of cattle in their states on or before September 1.
Only five states were able to meet the deadline.
The bill was passed after it was read the third time on the floor of the House during the plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aniekan Bassey.
The bill was entitled: “A Bill for a law to prohibit open rearing and grazing of livestock and provide for the establishment of ranches and Livestock administration, regulation and control, and for other matters connected therewith.”
The report of Joint House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lands and Housing was prrsented to the House, by the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, and member representing Ikono State Constituency, Asuquo Udo.
The lawmakers adopted the recommendations of the Joint House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lands and Housing, considered in the Committee of the whole.
The motion for the anti-open grazing bill to be read and passed, was moved by a Leader of the House, and member representing Oruk Anam state consituency, Udo Akpan, while it was seconded by the member representing Nsit Ubium state consituency, Mr. Otobong Bob.
The Speaker, Mr. Aniekan Bassey, thereafter, directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Mandu Umoren, to transmit same to the governor for assent.
The 17 southern governors would be meeting this Thursday in Enugu, for a third time this year.
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