The Edo Civil Society Organisations, EDOCSO, has called on governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, to promulgate a law prohibiting open grazing of cattle in the state and that there should be stiff punishment for violators.

The civil society organistion further called on the state government to, as a matter of urgency, facilitate training on cattle husbandry with startup capital for the teeming unemployed youths, graduates and non graduates respectively, advising that such trained youths should be formed into clusters to operate the ranches that will be built in all the local government councils.

An open letter addressed to the Edo State Governor, which was jointly signed by EDOCSO’s Interim TEC Chairman, Bishop Osadolor Ochei, Interim Deputy TEC Secretary, Comrade Keshi Lawrence, said cattle business is a private business hence government is not expected to provide land for cattle owners.

The letter which states that all cattle owners must ranch their cattle, noted that provision of colony to cattle owners should be discouraged, and that “every cattle owner should purchase/lease land for the purpose of ranching and/or any other farming operations.”

The letter reads in part: “Our positions and recommendations are contained herein under:

1. Edo state should promulgate a law to prohibit open grazing of cattle with stiff punishment for violators.

2. All cattle owners must ranch their cattle.

3. It is not the business of government to provide lands for cattle owners.

4. The Edo state vigilante network should be duly trained, paid and deployed in the enforcement of the law with support from the Nigeria Police Force.

5. Any cattle owner that allows his cattle to graze on a farmer’s land or destroy any property should be made to serve a jail term not less than six months and pay compensation to the farmer whose farm is destroyed. He should stand the chance of forfeiting the cattle to the state government.

6. The provision of colony to cattle owners should be discouraged. Every cattle owner should purchase/lease land for the purpose of ranching and/or any other farming operations.

7. Edo state government as a matter of urgency facilitates training on cattle husbandry with startup capital for our teeming unemployed youths, graduates and non graduates respectively. The trained youths should be formed into clusters to operate the ranches that will be built in all the local government councils.

8. Implementation of number 7 above will create chains of employment which will lead to drastic reduction in crime, tax generation increment with a projection of 16 months of consistency will cover for the high demands for beef by our people.

9. There is also need for the government to seek for security assistance with countries with technology to combat crimes like kidnapping and banditry that has crept into Edo state.

We believe the adoption of the above recommendations would address the worries and challenges open grazing has brought to our dear state. The issue of food security would be addressed and government should also make deliberate efforts in investing in the agricultural sector.