Concerns mount in Plateau State over the recent move by the State government to end open grazing and domesticate the National Livestock Transformation Programme.
Some residents who spoke to reporters though welcomed the development, called on the government to come clean on the mechanism put in place to make the policy effective and free of supposed threats.
For some time now, the issue of the farmers-herders crisis on the Plateau has been on the front-burner and efforts to address the lingering issues from the introduction of Ruga and cattle colony amongst others have met resistance from the majority of the people in the State.
However, the latest move by the state government to end open grazing and key into the National Livestock Transformation Programme following the Northern Governors Forum decision that open grazing is no longer sustainable was welcomed but not without concerns.
The government has transmitted a bill on the livestock program to the State Assembly for consideration, but the people say there’s a need for more robust sensitization on the mechanism put in place to ensure the effectiveness of the policy and to cast any fear of supposed threats.
A lawmaker in the State Assembly, who confirmed the transmission of the bill said what is important is the interest of the State
The bill when passed into law will take care of farmers, herders, and other interests in the livestock value chain.
What is, however, not clear is how soon the bill will be passed to take effect.