The Attorney General of the Federal Government and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has come under fire over his comments that the ban on open grazing by the southern governors is akin to a ban on spare parts business in the north.
Those who have taken a swipe at the minister include the Pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Group, Afenifere; Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo State, economist and banker, Atedo Peterside, and Hon. Solomon Bob, a member of the House of Representatives from Rivers State.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today” on Wednesday night, Malami that the southern state governors were infringing on the rights of freedom of movement of some people by the ban.
“It is about constitutionality within the context of the freedoms expressed in our constitution. Can you deny the rights of a Nigerian?” he queried. “For example it is as good as saying, perhaps, maybe, the northern governors coming together to say they prohibit spare parts trading in the north,” he said.
“If you are talking of constitutionally guaranteed rights, the better approach to it is to perhaps go back to ensure the constitution is amended,” he said. “Freedom and liberty of movement among others established by the constitution, if by an inch you want to have any compromise over it, the better approach goes back to the national assembly to say open grazing should be prohibited and see whether you can have the desired support for the constitutional amendment. “It is a dangerous provision for any governor in Nigeria to think he can bring any compromise on the freedom and liberty of individuals to move around,” the minister said.
Responding to him, Afenifere said in a statement that Malami’s “sectarian and emotional vituperations pitiably exposed him as being most unfit for the office of an Attorney General having always allowed his sectarian disposition becloud his eminent qualifications”.
In its statement issued by Secretary-General, Chief Sola Ebiseni under the title “Malami; Attorney General and Agent Provocateur, Afenifere said that “Malami does not want serious-minded people to accord him and his high office each time he accepts to play the roles of errand boy and spokesperson of the Miyetti Allah and their herders’ members.
“Each time Malami perceives a threat to the interests of Fulani herdsmen, he is quick to latch on to constitutional provisions which are not relevant to the object of discourse,” Afenifere said.
“He was readily on hand to vehemently denounce the Amotekun South West regional security initiative as being targeted against Fulani herdsmen and so declared it unconstitutional.
“When challenged to approach the Court, he had since developed cold feet.
On his part, Akeredolu said in a statement that the decision to ban open grazing was final. In a statement he issued Thursday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that “It is most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distill issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. Nothing can be more disconcerting.”
“Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to a harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant,” Akeredolu declared.
Afenifere added that “the sectarian and emotional vituperations of Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federal Government on the ban of open grazing of cattle by the Governors of Southern Nigeria did not come to discerning Nigerians as a surprise.” To put the matter in proper perspectives, Afenifere noted that contrary to Malami’s latest vituperations, the ban on open grazing and movement of animals by foot is not a denial of “freedom and liberty of movement and does not require the slightest touch of the constitution for the governor to pronounce.
“For the attention of Malami, most of the states already have laws banning open grazing and the pronouncement of the governors was merely to give effect to existing law. “It is the animal that is being prohibited from grazing openly and being moved by foot, except Malami intends to extend the inalienable human rights in the constitution to animals in the defense of a culture which gives more care to cattle than human beings.
“It is the same primitive mindset of which the Buhari administration has threatened the Governor of Benue State that he would have no place except he allowed a free reign of animals,” the group said.
“Malami was mischievously playing the role of an agent provocateur when he was inciting Northern Governors to place a ban on spare parts trading in which southerners are involved. “ln deference to their religious and cultural sensibilities, some of the northern states made laws banning trading in alcoholic substances and have been seen destroying such wares in their millions notwithstanding that they share in the VAT collected on those goods and no one is crying over it.
“We in the Afenifere support the resolutions of the Southern Governors banning open grazing and movement of cattle by foot in our territory. “Those who can cope with the destruction of farmlands and produce by animals and are also permissive of criminality by terrorist herdsmen are free to open their vast lands for such purposes.
“Nigeria will only exist and thrive on the terms agreeable by all its constituent nationalities. Afenifere said that “Officials of the Federal Government should be advised that their jaundiced sectarian views are eloquent testimony that the Buhari administration has lost the confidence of the generality of Nigerians,” Afenifere said.
In the House of Representatives, a member from Rivers State, Hon. Hon. Solomon Bob tried in vain to have the House debate on Malami’s comments, as he was shot down by Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over Thursday’s proceedings.
Bob later noted that Section 41 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which Malami alluded to in his comments, deals with freedom of movement of human persons, not animals. He equally took a swipe at the minister for comparing that with spare parts business, noting it is “bad politics which is akin to preparing the ground for violent attacks on dealers in the business in the northern parts of the country”.
Traditionally, Ibos are known as the people who dominate the business of motor spare parts in Nigeria, to which Malami compared open cattle grazing.
Tweeting on this issue, Atedo Peterside said on his Twitter handle, @AtedoPeterside: “It is disingenuous to link a ban on open grazing to the constitutional right to the free movement of persons. The latter does not extend to the free movement of cattle, goats, sheep, etc through farms with the attendant destruction of somebody’s harvest.”
Akeredolu’s Statement
OUR DECISION IS IRREVERSIBLE AND WILL BE ENFORCED
I have just read the press statement credited to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Shehu Malami SAN on the resolution of the Southern Governors Forum to ban open grazing in their respective States. The AGF is quoted to have said that this reasoned decision, among others, is akin to banning all spare parts dealers in the Northern parts of the country and is unconstitutional.
It is most unfortunate that the AGF is unable to distill issues as expected of a Senior Advocate. Nothing can be more disconcerting. This outburst should, ordinarily, not elicit response from reasonable people who know the distinction between a legitimate business that is not in anyway injurious and a certain predilection for anarchy. Clinging to an anachronistic model of animal husbandry, which is evidently injurious to harmonious relationship between the herders and the farmers as well as the local populace, is wicked and arrogant.
Comparing this anachronism, which has led to loss of lives, farmlands and property, and engendered untold hardship on the host communities, with buying and selling of auto parts is not only strange. It, annoyingly, betrays a terrible mindset.
Mr Malami is advised to approach the court to challenge the legality of the Laws of the respective States baning open grazing and decision of the Southern Governor Forum taken in the interest of their people. We shall be most willing to meet him in Court.
The decision to ban open grazing stays. It will be enforced with vigour.
SIGNED
ARAKUNRIN OLUWAROTIMI O AKEREDOLU, SAN
GOVERNOR, ONDO STATE
