3115 persons sign petition to end open grazing in Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta, Abia

Some 3,115 persons have signed a petition demanding an end to open grazing in Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta, Abia States.

The signatures were collated as at the moment of this publication.

The petition was titled “Petition against open grazing: assistance in creating a strong disincentive to killings and other social vices associated with open grazing“.

It saw 941 citizens endorse it in Imo State, 58 in Ebonyi State, 1,800 in Anambra State, 50 in Delta State and 266 in Abia State.

No results has been collated for Enugu State as at the time of this publication.

The petition was addressed to the Executive Governor of Imo State and the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly.

A similar petition was also addressed to the governors of Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta and Abia States, as well to the various states’ Houses of Assembly.

A copy of the petition reads:

“Dear Sirs,

In the last few years, we the people of Imo State have witnessed unprecedented levels of killings, raping, destruction of hard earned farm property and produce and physical attacks by people engaged in open grazing.

These people even go as far as sometimes asking farmers to ‘do quick and leave the farm as their cattle want to graze’. This is the height of provocation.

We need a message sent loud and clear that open grazing is prohibited in Igbo land as far as our customary law and traditions are concerned.

For people to come into our land and violate our tradition in such grievous ways with equally grievous consequences is totally unacceptable. We have had enough of this.

It is totally in violation of the 2006 Imo state law prohibiting open grazing in restricted areas. We call for enforcement of this law.

The level of violations and the impunity with which it is being done is such that enforcement of the law immediately has become imperative.

Recent events equally make it clear that this law drafted in 2006 does not speak to all the realities on ground today as the violations have taken more dimensions.

We hereby call for the immediate amendment of the law to address present day challenges. Pending the amendment, the existing law should be fully enforced to ameliorate the situation.

All over the world, ranching is the best practice for animal husbandry. We can allow those who wish to do cattle rearing to purchase or rent land from people and set up proper ranches.

Evidence indicates that the weight of the cattle and the volume of milk is higher for ranched cattle than unranched cattle.

When this fact is coupled with the killings, the raping, the harassment of people in their own ancestral farms and the destruction of farm lands and property, it is very clear that ranching is the only way to go and that open grazing must be prohibited in order to allow the peace loving people of Imo state to drink water and drop the cup.

To practice other inadequate solutions is to make a bewildering decision or to invite further killing, raping and other associated vices. He who brings ant infested wood into his house has also invited lizards to live with him.

We hereby urge your Excellency to immediately send a bill to the House of Assembly on amendment of the open grazing prohibition law and we equally urge the house to pass the bill expeditiously.

We equally call for adequate enforcement of the existing law to ameliorate the situation pending the enactment of the revised law.

For every moment this issue is not roundly addressed, one more person is killed, one more girl is raped and one more farmer is humiliated in his ancestor’s land.

We have not committed any mortal sin that we should be exposed to these excruciating experiences.

We thank you for URGENT cooperation on this matter.”