Taraba Assembly passes anti Open Grazing Bill

The Taraba State House of Assembly has passed into law, the long- awaited State Anti -Open Grazing Bill, 2017.
The passage of the Bill, Daily Times learnt, took place during the Wednesday plenary at the hallow chambers of the state assembly in Jalingo.
According to our Correspondent, the session was presided over by Mr. Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abel Peter Diah, who explained that the bill has been read for the third time while a Motion for the passage of the Bill was moved by the Majority Leader, Joseph Albasu Kunini, of Lau Constituency and seconded by Hon. Pius Sabo, Wukari I Constituency.
It was reliably gathered that a clause by clause consideration of the Bill was carried out which followed a unanimous consent leading to the scaling through of the bill.
The title of the Bill read thus: “The Taraba State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2017” while the long title
reads, “A Bill for a Law to prohibit open rearing and grazing of livestock and to provide for the establishment of Ranches and for other matters connected thereto, 2017”.
The Daily Times correspondent, however, reports that the Bill, before its passage into law attracted a lot of controversies from the members of the general public.
It could be recalled that the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association and other sister Unions in the state staged a protest against the Bill before the lawmakers at the Assembly while farmers on their part rallied, supporting the Bill.
This necessitated the creation of ad-hoc Committee from the legislators who thereafter called for public hearing in the three senatorial zones of the state.

Okerafor Athanatius, Jalingo