The President University of Port Harcourt Alumni Association , Chief Chris Adokeme has commended the federal government over its ban on open grazing in the country. He however disagreed with the decision by the government to acquire grazing land for the herdsmen.
In a statement, the National President of the Association, Chief Chris Adokeme contended that grazing is a private business by individuals and so the federal government has no business acquiring grazing land for the herdsmen.
He urged the government to allow owners of the cattle to negotiate and acquire the land required for their private business.
He dismissed the decision of the federal government as an attempt to achieve through the back door what the ill fated “Grazing Reserve Bill” could not achieve.
Adokeme also called on the government to go beyond the ban on open grazing, but to fish out the criminals responsible for the multiple serial murders of innocent farmers in Benue and other states of the country.
“We condemn the senseless killing of men, women and children in Benue and other parts of the country, we sympathise with the families and government of these victims. This is one killing too many for the nation to bear” he stated.
Making reference to the decisive action of the federal government in successfully sending the military after those behind the killings of innocent Christian worshippers in Omoku on new year day, the UniPort Alumni President said the military and not the police should be involved in the operation.
This, he said, is because the herdsmen are known to have successfully attacked a mobile police team in the past in Benue state leading to the loss of life of serving security agents.
