Ortom assent to amended anti open Grazing law

…says stiffer penalty await violators

By Titus Atondu, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom  yesterday signed into law the amended Anti-Open Grazing  and Ranches Establistment  Law 2017.

The governor explained that the amendment became necessary because the law had a lacuna.

He revealed now that the law has been amended by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by him,  stiffer punishment await offenders of the law.

He stressed that the amount charged as fine was too meagre owing to the sufferings encountered by the Livestock Guards and other security agencies while trying to arrest animals   that  violate the law.

He said that the fine had been increased from N2,000 to N50,000 per animal.

“Also, after paying the stipulated fine of N50,000 and the owner of the animals failed to move them they will pay N20,000 per animal for each day that the animals might be under the care of the livestock guards.

“If the owner of the animals failed to pay the stipulated fine after seven days, the animals will be auctioned in line with amended law.

“Apart from the change in the fine, every other thing in the law remained unchanged,” the governor said.

He commended the State Lawmakers for painstakingly going through the law and passing it speedily.

Earlier, the Speaker of the Benue Assembly, Mr Titus Uba, said that they had worked on the law to make it more effective.

The speaker said that it had provided robust solutions to the herders/farmers clashes.