BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Two rights activists, Wale Adebisi and Ayo Ologun, have asked Nigerian governors to immediately go to court for a judicial pronouncement on the plan to reopen grazing routes across the country by the federal government.
Recall that the Southern Governors’ Forum had recently banned open grazing in the region.
The president had, in his Democracy Day broadcast, directed the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to revive the old grazing routes across the country, stating that it was part of his administration’s plans to curb farmers-herders’ clash.
But in separate reactions in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, the rights activists faulted the president for opposing the decision of the governors, alleging that the step was tantamount to enforcing open grazing system on the country.
Adebisi said the governors are owners of the lands in their domains and that the Federal Government lacks the power to interfere on the decisions that governors make on lands in their various states.
Adebisi urged the governors to sue President Buhari for allegedly usurping their power to determine what happens in their states, saying that Buhari appeared to be interested only in the welfare of cows than that of the citizens who were being killed owing to herders-farmers’ clashes.
He said, “The Democracy Day speech of President Buhari is distasteful to say the least. How would you have enforced open grazing system over the country? He said he would get back to his village and manage his cows; he is much more interested in the cows than Nigerians.
“The governors are the owners of the land. The governors, by the Constitution, are the owners of the land by our Land Use Act. They are powered by the Constitution to govern the land. The land doesn’t belong to the Federal Government. So, Buhari has no power to overrule the decision of the southern governors to ban open grazing (in their states).
“I expected the southern governors not to be intimidated by the interview that Buhari granted recently. They should head towards court now and challenge that speech legally. You can’t be ruling this country by fiat. This is not a military regime.
“The earlier the governors start making Buhari know that they are in charge of their states the better for them and the people they govern”
“Buhari said the state governors came to say that the herders are disturbing the people; he asked them to go back to their traditional rulers. So, traditional rulers are now the ones to face the herders? The governors say they are the chief security officers; we all know they are not because they don’t have authority over security agencies in the country. The police receive orders from the Inspector General of Police and not from governors.
“So, the earlier the governors start making Buhari know that they are in charge of their states the better for them and the people they govern.”
Also, Ologun said Buhari lacks the powers to revive the old grazing routes anywhere in the country.
He expressed concern on the correctness of the legal advice being given to the president by the Attorney-General of the Federation, adding that each time the president addressed Nigerians, he appeared to have lost touch with what Nigerians were going through.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to prioritise the security of lives and properties of the people, adding that “Nigerians need to be taken more seriously and our governors should have seen by now that they are on their own. They should take full charge and protect their people at all cost.”
