Lagos Anti-Open Grazing, VAT Bills Scale Second Reading
The Prohibition of Open Cattle Grazing Bill on Monday scaled the second reading at the Lagos State House of Assembly.
The bill was subsequently committed to the Committee on Agriculture just as the House also read for the first and second time the state’s Value Added Tax Bill.
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The lawmakers also asked the Committee on Finance, which is handling the VAT bill, to report back on Thursday.
Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, described the anti-open grazing bill as a timely legislation and one that would ensure harmonious relationships between herders and farmers and protect the environment of the state and the South-West zone.
The Speaker also suggested that the bill should make provision for the registration of herders and prepare them for ranching.
He said, “Allocating parcel of land is not enough but there should be training of those who would go into ranching. Ranching is expensive and it requires adequate preparations.
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“The Value Added Tax Bill would lead to an increase in revenue and increase in infrastructural development. This is in line with fiscal federalism that we have been talking about.”
Obasa said the VAT law when passed, would help the state meet challenges in its various sectors. He also urged the Lagos State Government to do everything legally possible to ensure the judgement of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, is sustained even up to the Supreme Court.
He lamented a situation where about N500bn is generated from Lagos State while N300bn is generated from other South-West states and paltry amounts are disbursed to them in return.
“It is an opportunity for us to emphasise again on the need for the consideration of true federalism,” he said.
Speaking earlier on the bill on open grazing, Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1), lamented the havoc that herdsmen had caused in the south western region
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According to him, farmers have continuously become afraid to go to their farms thus causing shortage of food. He also said many farmers had become indebted as they now find it difficult to pay back loans they secured.
He said it was lamentable that cattle roam the streets causing accidents and embarrassing people.
He advocated for stiffer penalties for herders caught carrying firearms.
His position was supported by Kehinde Joseph (Alimosho 2) who said open grazing in the 21st century is an aberration.
Joseph said the bill would ensure peaceful coexistence, reduce crime and help to guide the activities of herders.
