Politics
Anti-Open Grazing Bill: el-Rufai struggling hard to export banditry to south — Akeredolu
The governor of Ondo state and chairman of South West Governors’ Forum, Rotimi Akeredolu, has lampooned his northern counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai over the latter’s comment against the anti-grazing Bill passed by the Southern states.
El-Rufai had earlier in the week said that the anti-grazing law being passed by some southern states is a futile effort at solving the farmers-herders conflict.
According to him, the southern states do not have the resources to implement the policy. He, therefore, urged that ranching is a more effective approach towards ending the problem.
Responding, Akeredolu, in a statement through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, said El-Rufai was struggling hard to export banditry to the South under an expressed opinion laced with mischief.
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He said that; “From all indications, Governor Nasir El-Rufai, if he was properly quoted and his views not misrepresented, is struggling hard to export banditry to the South under an expressed opinion that is laced with mischief.
“Perhaps, it is apt to state clearly that the likes of Governor el-Rufai are already in a hysteric ‘mode’ of escalating and indeed, externalising banditry, especially as the military onslaught against criminal elements and other terror variants suffices in the North.
“For emphasis, any such comment like that of the Kaduna Governor, if indeed he made that statement, merely seeks to encourage anarchy under the guise “of resentment of a Law by affected stakeholders.
“In order words, it is a cleverly crafted path towards replicating in the South, the most despicable situation in the North that Nigerians of goodwill daily pray to overcome. It’s a ploy beyond the ordinary.
“It must, however, be noted that the Anti-Grazing Law, especially in Ondo State, has come to stay.
“It shall be zealously guarded and conscionably deployed to protect all residents of Ondo State, notwithstanding their ethnic and religious biases. Those who have nothing evil to perpetrate have nothing to fear as regards the Law.”
