Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, has described the anti-open grazing law which the Southern governors agreed to implement, at  the meeting of the Southeastern Governors Forum earlier in the year, as draconian and can lead to war in Nigeria.

Professor Ayade, who spoke to newsmen in Calabar, the state capital, made it clear that would not join other southern governors to sign the bill.

The Governor, who described herdsmen as his “brothers from the North”, warned that if such laws fail to consider the concerns of herders and farmers, it may lead to anarchy and endanger the entire country.

He said that his government would come up with an Open Grazing Management Law that would accommodate both the farmers and herders’ concerns as making herders’ business illegitimate by signing the law was insensitive.

“How would you as a nation legislate to illegitimacy, a legitimate trade of a people, the nomadic herdsmen? You cannot by law make illegitimate a legitimate trade of a people.

“You have a responsibility as an educated person. We sit in the office and that’s why even though certain governors have made it clear that governors must pass the anti-open grazing law, I have not, because I’ve found a solution to it.

“My herdsmen brothers of north or south extraction, to shut down their trades, stay confined in a place whether they have a pasture or not, it doesn’t matter to me.

“So, if I have a brother from Yobe State in a semi-arid condition with no grass and having no money to do irrigation to sustain his pasture, will I make his business illegitimate, shut him down and close him from survival?

“That is insensitive. What I think is anarchy, a deliberate invitation to war. That is inviting the nation into war.

“I ask myself if indeed open grazing is coming with this consequence? The sociology and anthropology are unacceptable and we must find a way to create means and balance between the herders and the farmers. That’s the essence of being a leader.

“So before I pass the law, I decided to pull back and find a solution. That is why in Cross River, we’re coming with an Open Grazing Management Law.

“I think morally, ethnically, it is unacceptable to prohibit a trade that existed before I was born. I’ll rather find a way to modulate it so that it will meet the definition of modern animal farming or husbandry. I think because it’s a profession, a business, it’s also a fundamental right of people to do the business.”

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has threatened to demolish houses built by those he called “unscrupulous developers” without appropriate permission, no matter how highly placed the owners are.

“There are certain investors, unscrupulous persons who decide, especially on the fringes of the city, to build without permission, to build on unallocated land, to build with impunity and to spend enormous amount of resources on fraudulent allocations or non at all and without building permits.

“You must probably have noticed that over the last few weeks, we have been demolishing. and we will continue to demolish them.”

The Minister, who spoke yesterday, December 3, when he commissioned the 5 storey office complex of the Abuja Property Development Company(APDC) located at Plot 1329, Peace Drive, Central Business District, Abuja, also warned that going forward, any investor or developer that attacks staff of the FCTA in the course of their duties will be brought up on criminal charges and duly prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

“We want to develop the city but the city has to be developed in an organized manner, just like it is done in all parts of the world.”

The minister added that the Administration is working closely with the Real estate development Association of Nigeria (REDAN), the National Assembly as well as the EFCC and ICPC because a number of the
identified offending properties were purchased with ill-gotten funds and the properties are used to launder such funds.

He said all such sharp practices would no longer be accepted even as he made it clear that staff of the FCTA who signed off on and allowed illegal buildings to be developed will also be punished.
“For every property that is allowed to stand and an official
somewhere has not done his or her work, we will not spare those officials as well because at the end of the day, it is the off-takers that lose out.
He also advised off-takers or other investors who wish to purchase any property to do their due diligence and ensure that the properties they are interested in are genuine and the developer is genuine.
He however assured genuine developers and
investors that their properties will not be touched as long as such properties are erected on genuinely allocated land with the proper documents, adding that they should also procure the services of solicitors for legal guidance and advice before concluding any purchase.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disbursed a total sum of N4,476,067,191.05 to the six Area Councils in the FCT and other stakeholders as its share of statutory allocation for the month of October 2021,

The figure indicates a slight decrease in revenue from N4,726,127,134.71billion disbursed in the month of September to N4,476, 067,191.05 in the month of October, representing 5.3 percent decrease.

The Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, who presided over the Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), commended all stakeholders for their cooperation, despite challenges recorded in the past.

The figures released indicate that the sum of N2,530,406,244.92billion was made available for distribution to the six area councils, while the sum of N1,945,660,946.13 was made available to other stakeholders, bringing the total sum to N4,476,067,191.05.

However, distributions to area councils shows that the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), received N467,596,505.31, while Gwagwalada got N470,262,942.36 and Kuje received N409,219,387.28.

Others include, Bwari Area Council which received N384,085,033.55, Abaji N401,888, 840.83 and Kwali received N397, 353, 535.59 bringing the total sum to N2,530, 406, 244.92 disbursed to the six area councils.

Distribution to other stakeholders include: Primary School Teachers which gulped N1,566,571,879.02 with 15 percent Pension Funds which took N226,478,989.57, One percent Training Fund which gulped N44,760,671.91 and 10 percent Employer Pension Contribution accounting for N107,849, 405.63, bringing the total sum to N1,945,660,946.13.

While calling for more commitment and synergy on the part of all stakeholders, the minister however commended them for showing understanding in the distribution of monthly allocation to area councils and other stakeholders.

She stressed the need to strengthen institutions that would outlive the present administration.