“We Will Not Allow Herdsmen Take Over Our State” – Enugu In Diaspora Give Govt. 72 Hours  To Reverse Grazing Bill

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Enugu State indigenes in the diaspora ,under the  aegis of Concerned Patriotic Enugu Indigenes, CPEIID, has  given the Enugu State House of Assembly, a-72 hour ultimatum to reverse the Grazing Bill recently passed by the legislative body.

This is even as it has called on the Enugu State Government to take immediate steps to compensate the indigenes who have suffered varying degrees of losses on their farmlands owing to the destructive activities of Fulani herdsmen .

The Enugu Diaspora group in a letter captioned “Condemnation Of The Secretly Passed Grazing Bill And Demand For Immediate Reversal” and signed by its Leader Walter Chinedu, Secretary Urama Vincent and other executive members, made available to the Media on Monday, May 13 2024, said the Bill is in bad test and totally inimical to the interests of the good people of Enugu state .

The Source reports that early last week, Enugu State Legislators passed a bill seeking to establish an Agency by the State Government to regulate and control the activities of both herders and farmers in the state .

The State Lawmakers had argued that the Bill, when operational, has the potentials to halt the incessant farmers/herders clashes and enthrone a regime of peace in Enugu State.

They had also cautioned against any acts capable of discouraging outsiders from investing, and/or conducting their legitimate business activities in the state.

This is even as the legislative body also called on the indigenes of the State  to be accommodating, insisting that the herders have come to stay in Enugu State.

However, the Enugu Diaspora Group in its letter, May 11, 2024, while expressing deep reservations and concern over the Bill ,regretted that such a sensitive piece of legislation was passed without any public inputs .

Lamented the Group:

“This Bill which was passed without public inputs or debates , allows for the establishment of grazing lands by the Enugu State Government for AK 47 riffles-carrying Terrorist Fulani herders ,which has far reaching and devastating implications for our communities and state .

“The secret passage of this bill is a clear violation of our rights as citizens of Enugu state and a betrayal of the trust we have placed on our elected representatives .

“It is a clear example of the Government’s failures to prioritize the needs and interests of its people.

“The implications of this bill are severe and far reaching . It will lead to continuous massacre of our people,displacement of  our people,the destruction of our crops and properties and the continuous erosion our cultural heritage.

“It will also continue to perpetuate the criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen ,who have consistently shown disregard for the law and rights of our indigenous people and communities .

“We believe that the bill will have numerous negative implications including ,increased Instances of violence and insecurity ,particularly concerning the ongoing attacks by criminal herdsmen in our different communities ,displacement of indigenous communities and the subsequent loss of livelihoods,culture and heritage .

“We fear escalation of tensions, between communities and external groups,undermining of the social fabrics our state and the potentials for exacerbating  environmental degradation and negative impacts on agricultural activities and further endangering our food security.

“We have seen the negative impacts of similar ranches inBenue ,Plateau ,kaduna ,and other Nigerian states where thousands of indigenous communities have been displaced and forced in to IDP camps ,without being protected by the security forces .

“The experiences of these states serve as a stark warning of the dangers of allowing foreign herdsmen to take over our lands and displace our people. We can not allow Enugu state to suffer the same fate ” part of the letter reads.