Audu Ogbeh Confirms FG Plan to Create Grazing Reserves for Herdsmen Across the Country

The Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, yesterday finally confirmed that the Federal Government was planning to create grazing reserves for herdsmen across the country in order to stem the orgy of renewed violence involving farmers and Cattle herders.

There have been many rumour and speculation on wether there is National Grazing Reserve Bill before the National Assembly or not. The two legislative chambers have seperately denied the existence of such a bill.

But Ogbeh, who stated this in his presentation before the House of Representatives at the ongoing sectoral debate on the economy, explained that the idea behind the grazing reserves was to discourage cattle roaming and indiscriminate grazing. He told the lawmakers that each state was expected to provide them 5000 hectares of land, which would be re-grassed by the government and provided with schools and other facilities for the comfort of the herdsmen and the cattle.