Ayade Signs Bills On Open Grazing Management, Anti-Corruption Into Law

Cross River State Governor Ben Ayade has signed two bills into law.

There are Cross River State Livestock and Grazing Management Bill and Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Bill, recently passed by the House of Assembly.

At the signing at the Conference Hall, Governor’s Office, Calabar, Prof. Ayade described the two new laws as masterpieces of legislation.

He hailed the Speaker, Eteng Jones Williams and members of the Assembly for their foresight and dexterity in fashioning the laws.

Giving details of the law on open grazing, which differed from what most states had, the governor said: “Contrary to what most states have done, we have made containment and control measures to define the beacons of range through which any form of ranching can be done.

“The law is very detailed. It provides penalties for straying cattle as well as cattle rustling. Anybody who steals a cattle belonging to a herdsman, there is a penalty provided in the law. Any herdsman who allows his cattle to stray out of the ranch, there is a penalty. With this law, we have protected the farmers and we have protected the herders too.

“We did not absolutely ban, we have also controlled grazing. We have controlled movement of cattle and made provision that movement of cattle within the state has to be by vehicle. So, there will no more be trekking with cows through farmlands.”

Ayade debunked insinuations that the law had legitimatised destruction of farmlands by farmers.

He said: “For those who do not know, this law is not designed to entertain the destruction of our farmlands. It is also not designed to exterminate the business of herders because it is not only non-indigenes that are into livestock farming, we have natives who are into livestock.”

On Anti-Corruption Law, the governor said it offered guarantee of transparency in the way and manner public offices were handled.

“It brings the watch dog closer to us and brings us to a point where we will have ultimate value for the resources of our state,” he added.

According to him, “it is the domestication of the criminal administration law of Nigeria, which Cross River has domesticated. This law derives its strength from the concurrence of the criminal justice of Nigeria.

“Essentially, by the provisions of the new law, Cross River State House of Assembly has a superintending authority over the disbursement and distribution of resources of the state.

“The House plays more or less a super auditing role and is vested with the power to make final statement of clearance for any expenditure that is consistent with the appropriation law of each year.

“I believe that this is groundbreaking and it is very novel. This also makes it clear that you will no longer wait for somebody outside to come and investigate you. There is now a watchman taking stock of your activities right here in your own domain.”

Speaker Williams hoped that “the two important laws will shape the behavioural pattern of the indigenes.”