Anambra Assembly mulls enactment of anti-open grazing law

The Anambra State House of Assembly is currently working on a law that would compel cattle herders to provide ranches for their herds.

The assembly on Thursday resolved to refer the bill on cattle ranching to House Committee on Agriculture for their input before final passage into law.

The House had debated on the law establishing the cattle ranches in the state.

Mr Charles Ezeani, who sponsored the Bill, said that if passed into law, it would put to an end to open grazing as currently witnessed in the state.

“The Bill seeks to regulate cattle rearing in Anambra with a view to arresting incessant massacre of innocent citizens by herdsmen.

“It will put to rest, open grazing by confining cattle and dog rearing to designated places as any cattle found operating in unapproved places shall be impounded.

“Also these herdsmen must show themselves by registering their ranches as well as pay taxes, in order to generate revenue to the state and ensure food security and retain our agricultural landmark,’’ Ezeani said.

The Majority Leader, Mr Victor Okoye added, ” The Bill, if passed into law, will give security agencies the legal backing to confiscate any animals found grazing outside designated areas.”

The Chief Whip, Mr Lawrence Ezeudu, Member Representing Dunukofia Constituency, Mr Obinna Emenaka, Representing Anambra East, and other members who made contributions noted that the Bill would stop herdsmen from encroaching on farmlands and also help to keep the environment clean.

Speaker of the house, Rt Hon Rita Maduagwu thanked those who made contributions, but referred the Bill to the House committee on agriculture.

Ekiti 2018: Buhari’s aide, Ojudu formally declares, says “I will beat Fayose”

Ekiti 2018: Buhari’s aide, Ojudu formally declares, says

 “I will beat Fayose”

Sen. Babafemi Ojudu says his choice as the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship candidate for the Ekiti governorship election will fast-track the defeat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Ojudu, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, said this on Friday at Ado-Ekiti at his declaration ceremony for the July 14 governorship poll.

“By the grace of God, my candidature will not only drive PDP away, we will ensure that we defeat the incumbent and his nominee,”, NAN quoted him as saying.

Ojudu said his decision to run for the gubernatorial race was not by accident but a result of wide consultations with respectable men and women, including opinion leaders in the state.

Ojudu, who described himself as having the penchant for winning elections, said he defeated current governor, Ayo Fayose to become a Senator and promised to repeat the same feat if given another chance.

He enjoined leaders of the party in the state to provide a level-playing ground for all the aspirants so as to enable the best candidate to emerge.

“I am going into the governorship race as a call to serve and not to acquire wealth. God has been so kind to me in all my ways and I think the best way to appreciate God is to serve my people with all my vigor.

“My mission is simple but critical to the growth and development of Ekiti, and that is to make Ekiti work for all as well as taking back its pride.

“It is my plan to take the jobless off the streets, re-focus the civil servants who are the engine room of government.

The Ado-Ekiti born politician promised to turn Ekiti State into one of the major producers of rice if he realized his ambition of ruling the state.

Ojudu promised to also use his wide influence to attract investors, aside from establishing cottage industries.

He said that with this jobless people both men and women including school leavers could be engaged.

He added that industrialization of Ekiti would be his priority to make the state less dependent on allocation from the Federation Account.

He promised to use his experience as a media manager to run an efficient government in which workers would be well taken care of.

According to him, a situation in which the current administration in the state owed workers arrears of salaries and allowances after receiving its due allocation from the Federation Account will not arise.

Ojudu advised the leadership of the party to conduct a credible primary election among the party’s aspirants in line with the famed integrity of President Buhari.

Why Dino Melaye is against me – Governor Yahaya Bello

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has blamed the lingering rift between him and Senator Dino Melaye on his refusal to waste the available scarce resources of the state.

He made this known in a phone interview on Channel TV’s Politics Today anchored by Seun Okinbaloye

According to Bello, “We are aware of a particular senator who wants elephants to be shared in Kogi State and I refused.

“The people of the state must have value for the lean resources that we are generating, and we are receiving; if that is his problem, so be it,” he said when asked to react to his disagreement with Senator Melaye..

The Governor also denied any involvement in the attack on the senator representing Kogi Central, Mr. Ahmed Ogembe.

He said: “First of all, on that day Senator Ogembe was attacked, I was in Kano. I had just received a message from a senator coming home to do empowerment; the next thing was the crisis that ensued.”

Amid the political crisis in the state, the governor said the police have begun investigations into the incident while a lot of arrests have been made.

We recall that some senators had accused the governor during plenary of introducing policies that could degenerate into a political issue if not properly handled. 

He, however, took a swipe at the lawmakers for failing to address national issues such as passing the 2018 Appropriation Bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly in November 2017, among several others.