Reps back Southern Governors

Members of the House of Representatives from the 17 Southern States of Nigeria have expressed firm support to their governors on the resolve for the immediate ban on open cattle grazing across Southern Nigeria as a panacea for the worsening insecurity in the region and the entire country.

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The Southern Governors Forum in a 12-point communique read by its Chairman, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, at the end of its meeting in Asaba, Delta State on Tuesday prohibited opening grazing which according to the group was a high-security risk factor.

“The forum observed that the incursion of armed herders, criminals, and bandits in the southern part of the country has created a severe security challenge, such that citizens are not able to live their normal lives, including pursuing various productive activities, leading to threats to food supply and general security. Consequently, the meeting resolved that open grazing of cattle be banned across southern Nigeria”, the communique read in parts.

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Reacting, members of the House of Representatives from the region in a statement signed on their behalf by over 20 lawmakers including, the minority leader,  Ndudi Elumelu; deputy majority leader, Peter Akpatason; deputy chief, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; deputy majority leader, Toby Okechukwu and Chairman Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus, Kingsley Chinda support all resolutions of the Governors.

“The Members of the House of Representatives from the 17 southern states of the federation, after due considerations, unanimously support the resolutions of the Southern Governors’ Forum on the demand for true federalism, restructuring as well as the worsening insecurity in the country, among others.

“This position is in a firm restatement of our insistence that our nation must exist and govern on the platform of democratic tenets of social justice, equity, fairness, mutual respect, true federalism, rule of law and constitutional order, and we are ready to deploy all legislative instruments at our disposal for actualisation.

“Against this backdrop, the members of the House of Representatives from the South, without regard to any other affiliations, firmly support our governors on the immediate ban on open cattle grazing across Southern Nigeria.

“We hold that such is a sure step towards checking the infiltration of bandits, armed herders, and terrorist elements which has heightened security challenges with escalated killings and bloody attacks on innocent citizens, while crippling social life, economic activities, and food production in the region,” the lawmakers said.

They supported the recommendation that the Federal Government should provide alternative and modern livestock management that does not constitute a security and economic challenge to the nation.

The Southern Members in the House of Representatives also support their Governors’ restatement of the demand for true federalism through a restructuring that will lead to the devolution of power, creation of state police, review of resource control and revenue allocation formula, as well as strict adherence to federal character principle in federal appointments in the shared interests of the federating states.

“As lawmakers, we affirm that such is the only guaranteed way to ensure fairness, justice, equity to engender national stability, productivity, and peaceful co-existence and we support an urgent national dialogue in that regard.

“We caution certain individuals kicking against such devolution of power and review of revenue control and allocation formula, to desist from their vested parochial interest and note that such reviews are the only way to stabilize our nation engender regional or state productivity and healthy development at all levels.

“Furthermore, our platform commends our governors for the concern for the asphyxiation of economic activities in Southern Nigeria resulting from the continued congestion in ports in Lagos and the gridlock on the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

“This challenge has led to losses in billions of naira to businesses and other economic activities in the industrial and commercial activities of not only in the Southern Nigeria but the nation at large.

“We therefore firmly back the demand for the establishment and activation of other ports in other states of the federation, particularly in the south where such services are in very high demand.

“As lawmakers, our platform assures of our readiness to deploy our legislative instruments to ensure speedy achievement of the reforms and constitutional amendments that will guarantee a restructuring towards the practice of true federalism in our country and we are rallying our colleagues from other parts of the country in this direction.

“We urge all Nigerians to see the larger picture ensure that all hands are on the deck to move our nation in the right direction.

“Our platform applauds our governors for their patriotism and courage while commending Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State for hosting his colleagues in their quest for solutions at this critical time in our national history”, the statement read in parts.