Human rights lawyer, Chief Femi Falana (SAN), says the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 was only applicable to northern Nigeria in the 1960s.

Falana made the comment in a statement seen by Legit.ng on Monday, June 14 in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to revive the outdated grazing reserves.

The respected lawyer said the Grazing Reserves Act of 1964 was not a law of general application because

“The Western Region, Mid-Western Region, and the Eastern Region had ranches for animal husbandry.”

Falana, therefore, advised President Buhari to promote ranching instead of attempting to revive grazing routes.

Meanwhile, Leadership newspaper reports that governors of the 17 states in southern Nigeria will meet to deliberate on their next line of action as a result of Buhari’s declaration that his government was planning to revive the cattle grazing routes of the First Republic.

The Southern Governors’ Forum had placed a ban on open grazing of cattle in the south of Nigeria a few weeks ago.

They insisted on ranching of cattle as the way forward, a position popularly supported by northern governors and the umbrella body of cattle breeders, Myetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) and other Nigerians.