Shepherd Communications' Blog: "DROP THAT GRAZING BILL"

By Kevin C. Asadu

Bishop Onah speaiking to the crowd gathered at St. Theresa\s Cathedral before the commencement of the prayer procession held today, the 2nd of July, 2016

In the wake of kidnappings, robberies, rapping of women, repeated killing of farmers and destruction of farmlands by Fulani herdsmen in Enugu State, the Bishops of the three Catholic Dioceses in Enugu State

have in a joint press statement during an Inter-Diocesan Prayer Procession, made a passionate call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to without further delay, withdraw the Grazing Bill which is currently undergoing proceedings at the National Assembly.

The joint prayer procession aimed at strengthening greater security against reoccurring invasion of communities by cattle rearers was held concurrently in all the three dioceses (Enugu, Nsukka and Agwu

Dioceses) in the state on Saturday, 2nd July, 2016.

Delivering the press statement on behalf of other Catholic Bishops in Enugu State, the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most. Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah while addressing the Caretaker Chairman of Nsukka Local

Government Area, Prof. Rose Onah as well as members of Catholic flocks in Nsukka who thronged in thousands from St. Theresa’s Cathedral to Nsukka council’s secretariat complex, stated that there was an urgent need for the Federal Government to drop the grazing bill which he said, is a threat to the fragile unity of Nigeria as a country.

“We call on the Federal Government to drop, without delay, the so-called ‘Grazing Bill’ which is quite capable of tearing apart the fragile unity of our country. Nigerians are already suffering much on account of the economic hardships in the country at the moment. To add to this abdicating its responsibility in the provision of security for the people would amount to insensitivity on the part of the government,” Bishop Onah said.

Bishop Onah remarked that after a long prayer session, deliberations and wide consultations with thoughtful stakeholders in the state, the Catholic Bishops in Enugu State have resolved that free grazing of cattle in the state has become dangerous to both the growing crops and human lives, stressing that nomadic lifestyle makes policing and the pursuit of criminals a herculean task.

“As responsible citizens, clergymen, spiritual leaders, we have been praying about and deliberating on these mounting challenges. At the end of a long prayer session with the members of our flock and careful consultations with thoughtful men and women across the state, we have come to the following conclusions:

“That the free grazing of cattle in our area has now become a threat not only to the growing crops, which is the mainstay of our sedentary people, but also to our lives.

“That the nomadic lifestyle makes policing and the pursuit of criminals much more complex and hazardous, while providing terrorists like Boko Haram operatives with ready cover for penetrating every nook

and cranny of our country,” the statement read.

The Bishops equally enjoined everyone to be law-abiding and continue to work for a harmonious co-existence between all Nigerians. This came just as the three Bishops admonished community leaders to refrain from

entering into agreements with herdsmen or any groups of persons that would give room for tension and crisis, while urging those already in an agreement to renegotiate to ensure justice for all.

Meanwhile, the grazing bill which may become law if successfully passed through all the stages in the chambers of Nigerian law-making body and assented by the president, seeks to establish grazing

reserves and stocks routes for cattle rearers in all the states of the federation.

Recall that it was a “Black Monday” in the farming community of Nimbo in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area on 25th April, 2016 when hoodlums suspected to be Fulani herdsmen carried out gruesome attacks on

farmers killing scores of persons.