Btlsblog Latest News & Gossip
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State means business when it comes to ensuring that the people of his state enjoys peace and go about their major business of farming which brings enough food for consumption.
.
”The food basket of the Nation” which is the slogan of the state was threatened when herdsmen beleaguered the state with their cows. The herdsmen were very merciless as they allowed their cows to eat up the crops of the Benue farmers and destroy farmlands. When the herdsmen allow their cows to graze openly on the farmlands of Benue farmers, it makes the efforts of the farmers who suffered to weed, plough and plant the crops to be in vain. They sow but do not reap.
.
Worst still, when the farmers complain or protest the acts by the herdsmen and their cows, their lives are threatened. The herdsmen go after them and injuring or killing them in some cases. The herdsmen sometimes attack the farmers in their communities. Thus, it has been more of bloody attacks in Benue state where many lives were lost and many people buried in mass graves amid tears just because they protested the eating and destruction of their crops on their farmlands by cows owned by herdsmen.
.
Then Governor Ortom stepped in. After calling for help from the Federal Government yet it appeared that there was no much difference to stopped the carnage, he decided to take actions. Ortom and the state Assembly came up with Anti-Open grazing Law in Benue State
.
The law was criticized by some people especially the herdsmen groups and other people supporting them. The Benue government led by Ortom proposed ranching as an alternative to Open Grazing. That was not accepted by the herdsmen. Then his government went on to implement the Anti-Open Grazing Law.
