NASS: Willful Ineffectiveness of standing committees

By Andrew Oota

The decision of the Nigerian Senate to regulate animal husbandry and ranches establishment in Nigeria as panacea for farmers and herders crises was greeted with mixed reactions .

Although the bill sponsored by Senator Titus Zam elicited different shades of reactions,it received more favourable endorsements and seen as long overdue.

Consequently Senate mandated an ad-hoc committee chaired by Senator Tahir Munguno (APC Borno) to conduct public hearings,collate inputs and report back within weeks for its third reading and passage for onward transmission to the President for assent .

Unfortunately , the well intentions of the Senate appears to have gone the way of many legislative works stalled at the committee levels as weeks turned months and still counting ,while the onslaught on helpless farmers by marauding herdsmen have witnessed an upward trend .

The inability of farmers to conduct there farming activities ,the destructions of cultivated farms by roaming cattles has provided negative incentives to the food insecurity witnessed by Nigerians since the attacks .

The public nuisance caused by roaming cattles in towns including the Federal Capital Territory high brow areas of Asokoro , Maitama and the three Arms zones appear to have escaped the eyes of relevant authorities who should ensure sanity .

This seeming ineffectiveness or willful approach of the Senator Munguno led ad-hoc committee is seen in many quarters as dancing to the whims and caprices of antagonists of modernity and respect for human lives and dignity.

In his lead debate, Senator Titus Zam (APC Benue North -West) was clear-headed, that the increasing wave of violent conflicts that erupts from pastoralists- farmers interaction in Nigeria had assumed a war- like dimension with far reaching negative impacts on the people and country as a whole .

According to him, to opting for a legislative therapy that would ban open grazing in Nigeria should not be clothed in mere sentiments, adding that the National Assembly would be seen to have adjudicated it’s statutory leadership responsibilities if lawmakers allow the menace to continue unabated .

Suffice to say that the position of Senator Zam properly aligns with the provisions of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended which places premium on the protection of lives and property of Nigerians as a primary responsibility of Government. The National Assembly is an integral part of Government.

In a well delivered debate , the lawmaker went memory, arguing that “historically, herders-farmers conflicts date back to pre-colonial times , however these violent conflicts have become more severe, intense and frequent in recent decades due to a number of factors which include but not limited to population pressure ,climate change ,live stock mobility and marketability , absence of laws on pastoralism, inefficient conflict management mechanism, proliferation of arms and urbanization “.

Reports have it that since 2016 more than 4000 lives have been lost as result of farmers-herders conflicts with over 5 million people displaced particularly within the Middle Belt Region and other parts of Northern Nigeria.

What the Senator Munguno led ad-hoc committee ought to have realized and dispense with the anti-open grazing and establishment of Ranches bill is that the activities of roaming cattles have evidently dwindled productivity in crops production and herds significantly.

According to senator Zam, “this conflict has reportedly cost the country an average of 3.5 million dollars or 47 percent of it’s internally generated Revenues according to Assessment Capacities Project Thematic Report ACAP in 2017”.

This has no doubt brought negative implications on food security in Nigeria and the reality of skyrocketed food items are already staring Nigeria in the face ,a situation the Senate ad-hoc committee must consider before any parochial interest .

While some interests preffer the outdated cattle rearing method of open grazing,examples of countries like Mauritania ,Mali, BurkinaFaso and Niger with huge farmers and herder-populations have passed pastoral laws and codes which have assisted in mitigating the clashes between sedentary farmers and nomadic herders.

What the ad-hoc panel and the Senate in general appears oblivious of is that fact that beef as a multi-billion Dollar global business has attained that feat through ranched cattle that makes the animals more healthy and offers security for the herders.

The constant friction between herders and cattle rustlers particularly in the North West and North eastern parts of Nigeria can equally be eliminated should the Senate ad-hoc panel activates the completion of that piece of legislation.

It is important to state that India ,as at 2023 had about 308 million herds of cattle and it is the world’s number one country in animal husbandry, followed by Brazil, China and the United of America . In Africa , Ethiopia has tops with 68 million cows as at 2022 while Nigeria boasts of approximately 20.9 million herds as at 2022 and it wonders why with less cattle ,Nigeria experiences the kind of senseless killings and destruction of farm lands ,properties and fortunes as result of farmers-herders crises .

It is important to note that the senator Titus Zam bill currently on the dusty shelves of the ad-committee mandated to activate all Legislative codes to address this menace reinforces and questions the capacity of committees to function for the good of the people .

The bulk of parliamentary business is conducted at the level of the committees; the process of lawmaking as the constitutionally guaranteed mandate of lawmakers involves over 80 participation percent of various standing or ad-hoc committees.

It is the committees that conduct oversight functions to that provides checks and balances as required by law.

It is equally important to point out that ad-hoc committees of parliament underscores the importance attached to the subject matter . This kind of committees is a child of urgency and ought not to be treated with levity, a reality the Senator Munguno committee must come to terms with.

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While the leadership of the National Assembly harps on effectiveness of committee , it has procrastinated long enough in wielding the big stick on committees that only engage activities that have no direct impact on the yearnings and aspirations of the people as can be seen in some of the oversights that fall below standards .

The bill , if passed , seeks the establishment of National Ranches Commission for the regulation ,management ,preservation and control of Ranches throughout Nigeria emphasizing an urgent need to transit from traditional livestock keeping method to modern methods that are safer and healthier to both the herds and herders.

It further stipulates that the ranches be established in the pastoralists state of origin without forcing it upon other states or communities that do not have pastoralists as citizens.

It equally amongst other things seek that interested parties in livestock must seek and obtain approvals of their host communities to establish ranches for the purpose of peaceful co-existence .

The whole essence of lawmaking is for the good of a country and where bills that seek to uplift the well-being and welfare of Nigerians are consumed by a few vested interest crates huge concerns about the patriotism and commitment of the Nigerian lawmakers at all times .

The lost of lives have sadly become a matter of numbers and the debate continues as the figures soar to the chagrin of many.

How the 10th National Assembly intends to change the narrative and prioritize bills and motions that seeks to strengthen the very foundation of Nigeria by expeditiously responding to concerns of the people is what most Nigerians are waiting to see.