Open Grazing Ban Against Nigeria’s Unity- Sultan

By James Orji

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III has described the open grazing law by some southern governors as an aberration, noting that Nigerians have the right to do their legitimate business anywhere in the country.

He urged political leaders in the country to “abhor laws that are capable of causing inter-tribal or inter-regional disharmony.”

Regular farmers/ herders clashes have pushed some governors in the southern part of the country, to ban open grazing of cattle in their states.

The  Ondo state government has pushed further by banning cattle herding in the forests belonging to the state after suspected Fulani herdsmen  killed farmers in its forest.

Earlier in April,  the 17 Southern Governors, held a joint meeting in Asaba, Delta state where they all agreed to ban open grazing in the region. The governors said legislation would be enacted by their state houses of Assembly, to give the ban a force of law.

This, however, has not been well received by some northern leaders who said the governors are trying to break up the country.

As a token of disapproval for the law, President Muhammadu Buhari has also directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami to advise his administration on how to recover open grazing routes across the country for cattle grazing.

But legal icons and rights activists, Ebun Adegboruwa, Femi Falana, both senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and Edwin Clark, an elder statesman and Ijaw Leader, and others have criticized the Buhari administration on his plan to appropriate lands for fulani pastoralists to graze their cattle.

President Buhari is a Fulani from Katsina state.

The federal government has no control over land, as such power belongs to the state governors, under the Land Use Act, critics of the administration said.

Sultan Abubakar who is also the spiritual head of Muslims in the country has now criticized the ban, describing it as a divisive measure by those who do not meant well for the country.

The Emir said this in Suleja, Niger state, on Monday at a retreat organised for northern lawmakers in the house of representatives.

He said some people are trying to turn Nigerians against each other.

According to him “today, tribal politicians are bent on tearing the fabric of our nation apart under different guises. As patriotic and peace-loving Nigerians, we should not fold our arms and watch them destroy our unity,” he said.

“I, therefore, urge you, as grassroots politicians to continue to support government efforts in restoring peace and stability across the country as no nation can prosper under chaos.

“All Nigerians must enjoy equal freedom and equal rights to live peacefully and pursue their legitimate businesses in any part of the country they so choose, be it in the market or in the forest.

“We must reject all ill-conceived schemes that are divisive — schemes that are setting Nigerians against fellow Nigerians. We must abhor laws that are capable of causing inter-tribal or inter-regional disharmony. All men are created equal and the unity of Nigeria is sacrosanct.”