Senators from the northern region have objected to a bill to ban open grazing and stop the movement of herders and their cows.
The bill, which also seeks to establish ranching at the various herders’ states of origin, passed a second reading on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday.
The bill was titled, ‘A Bill to Establish a National Animal Husbandry and Ranches Commission for the Regulation, Management, Preservation and Control of Ranches Throughout Nigeria; and for Connected Purposes, 2024’.
The bill was sponsored by Titus Zam, a member representing Benue North-West senatorial district, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Although claiming to support the proposed bill, Danjuma Goje of APC described the controversial clause seeking to restrict herders to a particular geographical location as discriminatory.
“There are many angles to this issue of farmers and herders. We have to tackle the problem holistically. These Fulanis are Nigerians,” Mr Goje said.
Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, cited Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of movement for all Nigerians with their property.
According to Mr Aliero, any bill proposing such restriction is unconstitutional, adding that the bill’s sponsor was wrong to propose the establishment of ranches in the state of origin of herders alone.
Also against the provision in the proposed bill was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports, Suleiman Abdulrahman-Kawu, representing Kano South of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), who said the bill would contravene the herders’ constitutional rights and worsen the crises.
“The bill is totally against the constitution of Nigeria. The bill will even compound the problem of the herders and the farmers. You can’t propose a law to attend to a particular group or section of the country only. This bill is not holistic, and we will fight it till the end,” Mr Kawu vowed.
“This bill is against provisions of the constitution and, in fact, will compound the crisis of herders/farmers in Nigeria if allowed to become law,” he added.
Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, representing Kano North for the APC, tried to stop the bill’s passage. Mr Barau said he had already asked the sponsor to step it down due to the controversial provision.
The senator representing Abia South, Eyinnaya Abaribe, said that if properly managed, the bill would prevent clashes between farmers and herders.
Recommending the amendment of the Land Use Act to simplify the management of lands in states, Mr Abaribe stated that although some herders were peaceful and engaged in legitimate animal business, some criminal elements were amongst them and were being sponsored to destabilise communities.
Other senators who backed the bill are Sunday Karimi (APC Kogi West), Garba Musa Maidoki (PDP Kebbi South), and Abba Moro (PDP Benue South).
“We must hold a public hearing and bring all the stakeholders to have a say, including cattle rearers and the state governments,” said Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Mr Akpabio assured that a consensus would be reached on the bill, including amending the Land Use Act where necessary and adding that offensive clauses found not to be in line with the constitution would be expunged at a public hearing and national summit on security.
Therefore, when Mr Akpabio put the bill to voice votes, it scaled to a second reading. After the sponsor refused to step down, the bill was thereafter forwarded to the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Judiciary, and Legal Matters for more legislative input within the next four weeks.