To stem the tide of continuous open grazing by some herders in the state, Benue state government has directed all the 23 Local Government Chairmen to recruit more livestock guards.
Governor Samuel Ortom who stated this while speaking in Makurdi said the need to increase the services of Livestock Guard was necessary to fend off herdsmen invasion on farm lands and prevent them from grazing openly in Benue State.
Ortom who lamented recent atrocities allegedly committed by herders in parts of the state implored local government chairmen to recruit more livestock guards to help tackle headlong their activities.
He noted that herdsmen have continued to encroach on farm lands and graze in the open despite the anti open grazing law saying any cattle seen will be impounded and auctioned if the owners refuse to pay the fine and claim their cows within a stipulated number of days.
READ ALSO: Ortom Charges Livestock Guards To Impound Any Livestock Grazing Openly
Governor Ortom who disclosed that over 130 herdsmen have been convicted while 6000 herds of cattle have been quarantined, warned that further violation of the law will not be condoned as his administration is working in collaboration with security agencies in the state to bring offenders to book.
The Governor who directed council chairmen to work with traditional rulers and his security adviser in the recruitment of more livestock guards in their locality, said it is the responsibility of livestock guards to arrest cattle and not security agencies.
Speaking to our correspondent, the Chairman of Obi Local Government, Mr. Joseph Ipenyi said already they have hundreds of Livestock Guards at the local government and promised that more will be employed in line with the governor’s directive.
