Open grazing unIslamic - Masari declares, faults presidency's stance

The Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, has described open grazing of cattle as an “unIslamic” practice that should be discontinued.

Masari stated this Tuesday evening in Katsina during an interaction with newsmen.

There have been heated debate on open grazing in Nigeria since the 17 Southern governors unanimously banned it their states on May 11.

Recall that Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, while weighing in on the controversy, described the ban as unconstitutional.

The presidency also said that the ban was of “questionable legality”, accusing the Southern governors of not proffering a solution to the lingering Fulani herdsmen-farmers clashes.

Speaking on Tuesday, Masari advocated the provision of necessary infrastructure for states to promote ranching of livestock rather than open grazing.

“This is something we have to do through development, provide necessary infrastructure that will make the herders not to move.

“The herders’ movement is essentially in search of two things: water and fodder. If we can provide these two items, why should they move?

“The roaming about, for us is un-Islamic and it is not the best. It is part of the problems we are having today. I don’t support that we should continue with open grazing,” Masari said.

On other matters in the front burner of national discourse, Masari said, “I support devolution totally. The Federal Government is trying. But the states need to have resources to implement what should have been implemented by the Federal Government.

‘’If today the states will support the police, the police system will go up. If the states withdraw their support to security agencies, they won’t be able to move from here to there.

“So, I absolutely support devolution. As a government of Katsina State, we should be allowed by the constitution to decide many things that are peculiar to us.”