The Delta State Government has announced that it will not acquire any land for ranching purposes, as the State has signed the anti-open grazing bill into law.
This was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Information, Mr, Charles Aniagwu, in a statement on Friday. It was added that ranching was a private business and that the Delta State Government was not acquiring lands for herdsmen, as they prepared a bill on the regulation of livestock breeding, rearing and marketing in the State.
What the Commissioner said
Aniagwu said, “Contrary to the misinformation in the public, the state is not acquiring any land for the purpose of establishing ranches.
“Ranching like any other business is a private concern and therefore anyone interested in establishing ranches in any part of the state is free to acquire land for the said purpose.
“The acquisition should be done in accordance with relevant laws that regulate private ownership of any legitimate business.”
What you should know
- This week, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, signed into law a bill empowering the State government to collect Value Added Tax (VAT) within the State, a day after the Lagos State House of Assembly passed the VAT and open grazing prohibition bills, despite the appeal of the Federal High Court Judgment by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
- Meanwhile, in July, in a move to set up ranches and reduce farmer-herder killings in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the sum of N6.25 billion to set up ranches in Katsina State.
- The Southern Governors Forum had initially set the deadline for the Open Grazing Ban for Wednesday, 1st of September 2021.
