The Rivers State Government has approved the proposed bill backing the ban on open rearing and grazing of livestock.

The approval was given at the meeting of the state executive council at the Government House, Port Harcourt, presided over by Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Wednesday.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, in a statement said it was impossible to enforce the Southern governors’ resolution on grazing without a law backing it.

He said, “You will recall that on the 11 May 11, 2021, the Southern Nigeria Governors Forum meet in Asaba and in that crucial meeting adopted series of the resolution, most critical of it was that open rearing and grazing of cattle will remain banned throughout Southern Nigeria. His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State was part of that meeting.

“But we realised that we don’t have any extant law criminalising or prohibiting open grazing. And so it has become necessary for the office of the Attorney General of Rivers state to propose a bill for consideration by the State Executive Council.

“That bill came up before council for deliberation. And after exhaustive deliberation and discussion of the highlights of that bill, the same was approved by the council for onward transmission to the Rivers State House of Assembly for necessary legislative action.”

Prof. Adangor said when the bill was assented to by the governor, open grazing of livestock would be criminalised and prohibited in any part of the state.