Cows grazing on school premises
Some cattle herders have continued to defy agreement with Anambra State government not to graze within school premises, a situation that may trigger another bout of skirmishes between the herders and the school authorities.
Earlier, the Cattle Menace Control Committee set up by the state government reached an agreement with heads of the herders’ groups that grazing in academic environment was not acceptable to the government and should be discontinued.
However, in spite of the agreement, some herders still graze on school premises to the chagrin of the state government and the natives.
Following this development, Mr Ostar Christopher, the Senior Special Assistant to Anambra Gov. Willie Obiano on Security, has cautioned against the grazing of animals on school premises in the state.
Christopher, who spoke with newsmen in Awka on Saturday said that the policy was being violated in spite of the ban.
He said that there had been reports of security challenges between herdsmen and farmers in the state regarding the grazing pattern of their cattle, noting that schools had been turned into grazing fields.
“This action raised lots of clashes between farmers and herdsmen because farm crops were destroyed or lives lost at times, the state took a decision to ban the practice to achieve peace,” he said.
He said further violation of the ban on grazing on schools environment would attract serious sanctions and warm the people involved to desist as the action would be legally treated henceforth.
According to him, the Cattle Menace Control Committee set up by the state reached an agreement with heads of the groups that grazing in academic environment is not acceptable to the government.
“We held series of meetings with the cattle rearers in the state to respect the decisions of the government to entrench lasting peaceful co-existence among the people,” he said.
Christopher said that the committee had achieved success in areas of control over places where herders graze their cattle without harming the inhabitant.
“We have been able to make herdsmen who have been grazing in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University to move out of the premises peacefully.”
He urged other persons, who graze animals in schools premises without permission from the authority to stop forthwith or face legal action.
Christopher said that the state government would not tolerate animals destroying crops and farms or invading schools environment in the state for any reason.
He urged herdsmen and farmers in the state to obey the existing rules and regulations guiding the grazing law of the state for enhanced pleasant co-existence.
