By Ayodele Oni
Edo State House of Assembly has doused mounting tension caused by a bill on anti grazing before it forwarded by the state Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.
Groups and Civil Society Organizations, (CSO) have tasked the Governor on the bill accusing him of trying to cede lands to Herdsmen.
The assembly received some CSOs on Monday and assured them that the house was still in the process of considering the anti open Grazing bill for the betterment of the people and has not ceded any percentage of land to any group.
The speaker, of the Assembly, Marcus Onobun disclosed that the anti open Grazing bill before the house is still in the process of consideration and not passed yet.
Onobun who in company of some legislators, received three civil society groups, that protested to the house over the rumours making the rounds on the alleged ceeding of 20 percent of arable Land to Herdsmen.
The speaker pointed out that the various processes of law making include deliberations by the committee of the whole house where each clause is deliberated upon for the benefit of the people.
Onobun stated that the bill, when passed, will be a great asset to all. “Edo State House of Assembly will not make laws that we will be victims of or that will haunt us”
The speaker said the state government was concerned about peace and security of the people of the State.
He further stated that the bill would empower a regulatory committee to be set up by the State government to monitor and take charge of the setting up of ranches.
The Civil society groups received include Edo civil society organization led by Bishop Osadolor Ochie, Network of civil society of Nigeria led by Comrade Ogbidi and Edo state civil society organization led by Kola Edokpayi.
They in their presentations, requested to know if any percentage of land had been ceded by the house.
