Why Ekiti passed grazing bill into law – Speaker

The Speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, said on Friday that members passed the bill controlling cattle grazing in order to safeguard the lives and property of the residents.

Mr. Oluwawole stated this in a statement signed by his media aide, Stephen Gadamosi, in Ado-Ekiti.

According to the speaker, the assembly decided to pass the bill to ensure Ekiti people live a meaningful life.
“The Assembly has always been passing bills that will ensure safety of lives,” he said.

“By the time we notice that kidnapping was the order of the day, we came up with a law, Ekiti State Security Trust Fund Bill.

“Also when we saw the activities of those Fulani herdsmen in the country, particularly the one that happened at Oke-Ako Ekiti, in Ikole Local Government, we also decided that this bill had to come into existence.

“When one life is lost, how many cows can replace it? See the level of damage these herdsmen have done to farmers’ produce; talk of rapes, maiming and killings among others.

“We said we should diversify our economy to agriculture, but what kind of signal are the herdsmen giving out to those who intend to go into agriculture?

“This bill will create a good atmosphere for both the cattle breeders and the people of the state.

“It will give the farmers peace of mind to carry out their duties,” Mr. Oluwawole said.

The bill has since been signed into law by Governor Ayo Fayose.