Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has declared that any cow confiscated under the State Grazing Regulation Law will be slaughtered and shared to the people as part of the “Stomach Infrastructure” policy of his administration.
The governor said this yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during the inauguration of Ekiti Grazing Enforcement Marshals (EGEM).
He said herdsmen caught grazing their cattle beyond 6pm risks six months jail while their animals will be confiscated.
The law provides, among others; “No person shall cause or permit any cattle or other ruminants belonging to him or under his control to graze on any land in which the governor has not designated as ranches, no cattle or other ruminants shall by any means move or graze at night and that cattle movement and grazing are restricted to 7 am and 6pm.
Fayose explained that the setting up of the EGEM force was a further step to nip the killing of innocent people and destruction of their means of livelihood by armed herdsmen in the bud.
The EGEM men thrilled the audience with their parade while local hunters also performed at the ceremony. Some of the marshals displayed placards: “No To Terrorism By Herdsmen”, Fayose Is Working, Ekiti Is Moving”, among others.
Fayose, who wore an olive green long sleeve shirt with a camouflage fez cap, explained that the marshals will not carry arms, but will collaborate with security agencies to tackle armed herdsmen.
He said: “We have a right to life and to survive and holding things for our survival, especially peasant farmers, whose means of livelihood are taken away by cattle feeding on their crops. If the gains of peasant farmers are taken away in a jiffy, that is condemnable.
“We will end the situation whereby some people take away the means of livelihood of others.
“On August 29, the Anti-Grazing Bill was passed by the House of Assembly and the bill was signed by me on August 30. Some people go as far as grazing in the night when farmers are no longer in their farms.
“Any cattle found grazing after the time stipulated by the law will be confiscated by the government. Such cattle will be sold or killed on the spot and shared to people as part of our Stomach Infrastructure programme,” he said.
The governor, Wednesday last week, personally stopped open grazing on Afao Road and supervised the “arrest” of a cow on his way to Ikole-Ekiti.
He contended that lives of 5,000 cows cannot be equated with those of human beings being killed daily.
While frowning at cattle rustling by some people, Fayose added that the law was in the interest of cattle rearers too, as their operations would be streamlined.
The governor added that the phone numbers of the marshals would be made public and warned the marshals against going beyond their mandate.
