NASS to Dan-Ali: Call for anti-grazing law suspension, invitation to anarchy

Members of the National Assembly on Wednesday condemned Minister of Defence, Col. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd) call for the suspension of anti-open grazing law, describing it as a call to anarchy. The lawmakers also asked him to withdraw the statement.

Dan-Ali, had on Tuesday at the National Security Council meeting in Abuja advised that the anti-open grazing law already in operation in Benue, Taraba and Ekiti states be suspended.

Having resolved that his suggestion to the council could not solve the herders, farmers incessant clashes and continuous killings in some parts of the country, the Senate said the Minister must withdraw his statement while a minute silence was observed in honour of those killed in recent attacks in Benue State.

This resolution followed a motion moved by Senator Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East) who relied on the upper legislative chamber’s order 42 and 52 to raise a critical matter in the security arena which he described as re-occurring issue.

Gemade, said seven people were killed in the early hours of Tuesday on Kwande Local Government of the state on their way to farm by attackers who could be classified as herdsmen, rustlers or even Libyan mercenaries.

He said “we under siege of satanic force of faceless people who have been killing, maiming, raping our people on daily basis. But we are so dismayed by security agents failure to secure our lives”

The Senator further argued that in a democratic state like ours, states as coordinating units have alienable rights of making laws their people and such could not be suspended or discarded by mere pronouncement of any government official.

“If the minister of defence is calling for anarchy, I wonder where to find peace. This republic is being misadvised by those given responsibilities of advising the government. I think they should be called to order”, he said.

Senator John Enoh (APC, Cross River Central) queried how a defence minister who could not solve farmers -herders would think that suspending the anti-grazing law is the solution, stressing that the killings has been on for over seven years while the law came into being barely a year ago.

He said there is yet to be a solution or an appropriate response from government on the killings going on in the country.

“As a Senate we need to rise above primordial reasons to decline that enactment of anti-grazing law in Benue and Taraba is the source of killings in Nigeria”, he said.

Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South)said the senate should adopt a bipartisan stand on the issue considering the sanctity of life.

He said he had on his phone gory pictures of five people hacked down on their way to farm by herdsmen .

Also, at plenary yesterday, the Senate mandated its committee on judiciary and other related committees to probe issues raised in the recent report of the Amnesty International on inhuman treatments of inmates of IDP camps in the northeast part of Nigeria

It, however, ordered each member to have a review of the report to gain first hand information prior to deliberation on the report at plenary.

This followed a motion by Senator Shehu Sani (APC. Kaduna Central) calling the attention of the senate to the former presentation of the report on inhuman treatments of torture, rape and starvation of women in IDP camps in the northeast.

He said the report infringed on the reputation and integrity of security agencies in the country by such a credible international organisation, adding that the damning and indicting report is capable of denting the image of the country and the security agents, some of whom have paid the supreme price of laying their lives for the defence of the country.

Sani, added that the report contains names, photographs, identities and confessional statements of victims.

“As a Parliament, we have a duty to probe the report with the need to make amend. We have moral duty as lawmakers in line with our democracy and international best practice to probe the allegations.

“The report should not be dismissed as being sponsored by the opposition. It should be taken seriously “, he said.

Senator Sank wondered why the federal government has not yet issue a statement on such weighty allegations.

He said such probe is necessary so that the international community would not see Nigeria as relenting in her responsibility of providing succour to the displaced persons who were victims of insurgency.

For his part, Deputy Senate leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi) said it is unfortunate that the nature and character of the insurgent wars in the country could not be determined, adding that the nation is fighting a set of faceless persons who could be described as non-determined enemy.

Responding, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said there is the need for every senator to go through the report for further debate but quickly suggested sending it to the Senate Committee on Judiciary or an ad-hoc committee that will comprise other related committees.

This, he said was for the report not to be considered from the human right point of view but an holistic view from relevant committees.

Similarly, the House of Representatives on Wednesday, directed the National Security Council to rescind its decision calling on states to suspend the implementation of the Anti-Open Grazing law.

Instead of asking states to suspend implementing the law, the House advised the federal government to submit a supplementary budget to the National Assembly to enable it develop cattle colonies in states that have agreed to donate land for that purpose.

These were the House resolutions after adopting the motion sponsored by Rep. John Dyegh on the need to rescind the Security Council’s decision calling on states to suspend ranching and open grazing laws.

In his lead debate, Dyegh recalled several clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the past seven years.

He stated that the “unprovoked Agatu killings by Fulani herdsmen that claimed over 800 lives and left over 20 villages ravaged made the Benue eminent sons and daughters to come together and find a lasting solution to the problem.

“And after robust debates they came up with the recommendation of Anti-open grazing law” which was passed by the state assembly as empowered by Section 4(7) of the Constitution.”

He lamented attempts by the federal government to interfere with the affairs of states by ignoring their laws like the National Security Council looks to do with its decision.

“Unless there is no more rule not law in this country, Nigeria as a federation with federating units as states, it is totally 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 lands to governors,” he added.

The lawmaker argued that the National Economic Council alongside other bodies, have established that ranching is the only solution to the herdsmen/farmers crises hence, the decision by 11 states to buy into it and donate lands to accommodate the rearing of cattle in colonies.

Adopting the motion, the House further resolved to invite the Minister of Defence, Mansur Mohammed Dan Ali for interaction today.