Following killings in the Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu passes a bill regulating cattle herders.
The Public Ranch Bill was approved by the Enugu State House of Assembly on Tuesday. After the new law is ratified, the state government would have the authority to create a new organization whose primary responsibility will be to manage ranches in Enugu, both privately held and controlled by the government.
The recent tragedy in Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani LGA, where at least four persons were slain, precipitated the approval of the measure. Lawmakers in Enugu believe that this legislation is a vital first step in stopping more bloodshed.
Igbo-Eze North Constituency II representative Clifford Obe clarified that the measure will force herders to register before entering any community.
“The measure will assist individuals in overcoming fear. Every time a herder enters a neighborhood, they will be required to register. Because there would be an organization on the ground to direct the herders, there would be less crime and the disruption that cattle give to our urban and rural areas.
Obe stated, “First and foremost, the state government would be able to collect tax from the herders, who did not pay any tax previously.”
The Udi South Constituency’s Okechukwu Aneke stressed that no one ethnic group is the focus of the law. Rather, its goal is to control every person engaged in herding operations.
“The cattle and their herders will be stationed in a specific location once this agency is constituted. Any herder caught in our bush instead of the proper location ought to be considered an invader and a kidnapper, he said.
