Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has called on the state government through the Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development to as a matter of urgency enforce the provision of extant laws on open grazing.
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| Hon Jerry Otu during Thursday's plenary |
The House also urged the State Commissioner of Police and Commissioner for Internal Security to beef up security in-and-around Ikot Enwang and its immediate environs through establishment of a dedicated Police Post in the area.
Coming under matter of urgent public importance during Thursday's plenary, member representing Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara state Constituency, Hon Jerry Otu, expressed worry over incessant destruction of farmlands in the state, particularly in Ikot Enwang and its environs by herdsmen.
He informed the House of the menace posed by herdsmen in these communities by unleashing their cattles to destroy farmlands.
"Herdsmen has continued to pose a serious menace to the peace and tranquility of the community especially in the farm areas where they unleash their cattle to destroy farmlands and their produce thereby causing untold hardship to the peasant and peace loving people of Ikot Enwang".
Hon Otu who observed that the situation has lingered for over 2years despite efforts to embrace dialogue with herders to curtail their grazing activities away from the farmland, stressed that if the situation was not brought under control the people will continue to live in fear and also lose an important source of their livelihood.
"Observes that this very disturbing occurrences has continued unabated for over 2 years and despite various efforts to embrace dialogue with the herders to curtail their grazing activities away from the farmland, the situation remains the same and even getting more precarious by the day.
"Worried that if the situation is not promptly brought under control, our people will continue to live in fear and also lose an important source of their livelihood".
He noted that the ugly situation if not handled will impact negatively on the A.R.I.S.E Agenda of the present administration and urge the House to also mandate the House Committee on Agriculture to ensure implementation of open grazing law.
Speaking on the motion, the member representing Nsit Ibom State Constituency, Hon Eric Akpan, said more than 31 villages in his constituency were affected through the activities of herdsmen and urge government to fortify security in the affected communities.
"More than 31 villages have been affected by the activities of these herdsmen and if this issue is not tackled, one day we will wake up and there will be no food again in this state. The state government should wake up and make sure our farmland is safe".
On his part, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Hon Moses Essien who said his farmland were destroyed by cattle some years ago and stressed on the need for the executive to always implement laws made by the legislature.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Udeme Otong, directed the Clerk, Mrs Nsikakabasi Orok, to communicate the resolution of the House to the Governor through the Ministry ministry of Agriculture for enforcement of the law.
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