Governors of the southern region have set 1 September as the timeline for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law in all member states.
The governors made this known in a communique issued at the end of their meeting at Government House, Alausa, in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, on Monday.
The governors had at an earlier meeting eight weeks ago in Asaba, the Delta State capital, expressed their opposition to open grazing and stated that each state in the region would establish a law to ban such activity in their domain.
The move, according to them, is part of efforts to address killings and kidnapping allegedly committed by herdsmen.
Consolidating on their stance from the Asaba accord, the southern governors at their latest meeting in Lagos on Monday reiterated their stance on open grazing and said the action remains illegal in the region.
They also commended the security agencies for their efforts in restoring security to the region, but lamented what they described as “selective justice”, particularly with arrests made by the operatives.
“The Forum reviewed the security situation in the country and commends security operatives for their relentless efforts in restoring security and safety and commiserates with families and loved ones of those who have fallen in the line of duty; re-emphasised the need for State Police; resolved that if for any reason security institutions need to undertake an operation in any State, the Chief Security Officer of the State must be duly informed.
“The forum frowns at selective criminal administration of Justice and resolved that arrests should be made within the ambit of the Law and fundamental human rights; set a timeline of Wednesday, 1st September, 2021 for the promulgation of the anti-open grazing law in all member States; and resolved that Funds deducted from the Federation Account for the Nigeria Police Security Trust Fund should be distributed among the States and Federal Government to combat security challenges,” the communique, which was read by Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State, on behalf of the governors, stated.
The governors also rejected the proposed three per cent of oil revenue allocated to host communities, as well as the 30 per cent allocated to oil exploration in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).
The communique read: “The Forum commends the National Assembly for the progress made in the passage of the PIB. The Forum rejects the proposed 3% and support the 5% share of the oil revenue to the host community as recommended by the House of Representatives.”
“The forum also rejects the proposed 30% share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins.
“However, the Forum rejects the ownership structure of the proposed Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC).
“The Forum disagrees that the company be vested in the Federal Ministry of Finance but should be held in trust by Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) since all tiers of Government have stakes in that vehicle.”
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