A consultant to all farmer’s associations of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter Charles Okoro says the anti-open grazing law of the state is yet to be implemented. Mr. Charles Okoro in an interview with our reporter said the herders are sampled everywhere, and the Rivers State Government is not helping matters. He said that the anti-open grazing law was more or less an audio pronouncement because there is no implementation and enforcement since that law was enacted, implying that they wasted their taxpayers’ money by giving a law.
Mr. Okoro further explained that at Iriebe, across Imo Gate, and Igbo-Etche road, cows are moving around. He said Rivers State is very lenient in agriculture, and their budget has never at any point translated to the field but only on paperwork because they don’t have a passion for agriculture.
In another development, a rice producer in Rivers State Godwin Nwaogugu says the state of emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu on food security may not succeed if herders are not stopped from destroying farmlands. Mr. Nwaogugu who is the chairman of the National Rice Producers Processing Millers and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter said this in an interview with our reporter.
Mr. Nwaogugu said, earlier before now, agro-input was on the high side, making it difficult for the farmers to access with the high cost, but now that the president has proclaimed an intervention, then there would be abundant food in the country. Stating that, for that to succeed, the activities of the herdsmen should be checked if not, no matter what is invested, the animals will still prey on the plant and farmland, and the food shortages will still loom.
