The House of Representatives on Wednesday asked the National Security Council to rescind its decision calling on States to suspend Anti Open Grazing Law.
The lawmakers also asked the Federal Government to submit a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to develop Colonies immediately in those states that have agreed to donate land.
The resolution of the House was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of a motion of urgent National Importance by a member, John Dyegh (APC Benue) titled: “Need to rescind the decision of the Security Council as announced by the Minister of Defence calling on States to suspend ranching and Anti Open Grazing Law.”
While moving the motion, the lawmakers said that the Fulani Herdsmen crises in Nigeria predate the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari.
He further said: ” For the past over 7 years, the clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has been on the increase with so many lives lost with farmlands and villages overtaken by herdsmen and resultant effect of farmers abandoning their ancestral homes and God given lands.
“They live in camps as refugees and are dying in those camps for lack of food and proper medical care as their land is taken over by herdsmen.”
Dyegh said the unprovoked Agatu killings by Fulani herdsmen that claimed over 800 persons and ravaged over 20 villages” made Benue eminent sons and daughters to come together to find a lasting solution to the problem.”
” And after robust debates they came up with the recommendation of Anti- Open Grazing Law and called on the State Government to process it by a bill into Law,” adding that Section 4(7) of the 1999 Constitution gives express powers to be the State Assemblies to make laws for the good governance of the states.
“This is not the only state that has made laws for good governance in its state. For instance, we have seen states making laws against trading in alcohol and prostitution and such laws are obeyed by visitors and indigenes alike without interference by the federal government.”
He said it is wrong given the tenets of democracy for the federal government to dabble into the affairs of the states “ignoring the laws of the land in such a manner as this, more so as the Land Use Act has given power over land to Governors.”
The lawmaker reminded his colleagues that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has said that Eleven (11) states have agreed to donate enough land to accommodate all the cows by the herdsmen into colonies ” to end this crises, more so that even the National Economic Council in one of its meetings also agreed that Ranching is the best way to end this crises.”
When the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara called for a vote on the motion, it was supported by majority of members.