Herdsmen Attack: National Assembly Won’t Support Grazing Reserves –Ekweremadu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, May 2nd, 2016

By IGNATIUS OKPARA

BALTIMORE, MD (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Deputy Senate President DSP,chief Ike Ekweremadu, on sunday assured Nigerians that the National Assembly NASS will not support the creation of grazing reserves in any part of Nigeria.

Speaking with newsmen shortly at the end of a meeting of the South East governors elected under the platform of the opposition peoples Democratic party, PDP and stakeholders in Enugu, the DSP, dismissed the rumour in some quarters that there was a bill before the NASS on the creation of grazing reserves commission.

According to him, the said purported bill for the creation of grazing reserves was a “hoax”, stressing that the press should stop such rumours.

His words: “There is no such proposal or bill on the creation of grazing reserves either in the Senate or House of Representatives.

“Nobody is considering it; not even at the executive level.

“I do not think they are considering it but we will not support it even if it has been considered,” he stated.

Ekweremadu,who represents Enugu West senatorial district, explained that the meeting was convened in reaction to the recent attack on the people of Nimbo in Uzo Uwani council area of Enugu state by suspected herdsmen.

He said that the meeting reviewed all that happened since then and thanked all stakeholders who had shown sympathy to victims of the attack.

“The meeting is rescheduled within the week where all the governors are expected to be in attendance,” he said.

He disclosed that the meeting which was held under closed door also looked at a more regional approach to curbing the menace of the herdsmen so as to ensure that it did not happen again.

“We are looking at a concrete and more coordinated approach on how to protect our people from this carnage,” he said.

In his remark, Ebonyi state Governor, Dave Umahi, said that there was no disunity among governors in the South East zone.

“I am sure the Federal Government’s budget is not yet signed. So when it is signed, it will be the duty of all zones to start agitating for attention,” Mr. Umahi said.

Present at the meeting were Umahi, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia ex- Governor of Anambra state, Mr. Peter Obi among other PDP stakeholders.