National Assembly Is Not Considering Grazing Reserve Bill – Ekweremadu

SAN FRANCISCO, May 02, (THEWILL) – The Deputy President of the Senate, DSP, Chief Ike Ekweremadu has assured that the National Assembly will oppose the creation of grazing reserves across the country, adding that there was presently no bill on the creation of grazing reserves before the National Assembly.

The lawmaker, who addressed reporters on Sunday after a meeting of the South-East governors and stakeholders in Enugu, explained that the meeting was convened as a reaction to the attack on the people of Uzo Uwani by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Stressing that the purported bill for the creation of grazing reserves was a “hoax” which the press should stop spreading, he said, “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.”

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

The meeting was attended by Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Dave Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu of Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia states.

On the absence of Imo and Anambra governors, the DSP said: “The South East governors proposed to meet today to review these matters but regrettably, the message did not get to Imo and Anambra governors.

“So you can see mainly the PDP governors are here. So, they had to review the matter and more importantly, ensure that every governor will be in attendance in the next meeting.

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

Ekweremadu disclosed that the meeting 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 remarks, the Ebonyi state Governor declared that there was no disunity among governors in the South East zone, assuring that the governors would take a cursory look at the federal budget, when signed into law, so as to ensure that the zone got what was due to it.

He said that the governors would ensure the rehabilitation of federal roads in the zone if such arrangements were captured in the budget.

“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,” Umahi said.