Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the ban on open grazing in the state will be given legal backing, to protect residents from herdsmen.
Wike stated this while speaking at the inauguration of the Isaiah Odoli/Omerelu Streets in New GRA Phase 1 in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area on Wednesday.
The Governor said the Anti-Open Grazing bill will be sent to the State House of Assembly.
“You can’t go to the farm anymore, those who rear cattle, they’ll not allow your crops to grow. Let me say clearly, now that the House of Assembly has come back, we have to submit the bill on Anti-Open Grazing as we agreed in the Southern Governors Forum.
“So, that everybody must understand it, it’s clear, without any hesitation, we must do it to protect our farms, to protect our women, to protect our youths so that nobody will go and kill them,” Wike stated
Wike asserted that Nigerians who had considered the All Progressives Congress as a better alternative to the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015 must be regretting the deplorable condition of the country under APC.
“The exchange rate has now gotten to N510 to a dollar. When they took over, it was N150 to a dollar. They said they’ll give employment. Do we have employment today? Are your children employed?”