Edo State Gov. Godwin Obaseki has stated the reason behind the reluctance of his administration towards approving the anti-grazing bill.
The governor made the call when he addressed State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, October 13.
According to Obaseki, the state government is yet to promulgate a law banning open grazing because it sees the venture as a private business.
“As you know, most Southern States have passed laws relating to open grazing but Edo State has not. Because we want to ensure that whatever laws we pass are laws that we can enforce.
“We have had extensive consultations with our people to deal with the issue that yes, we do not want open grazing because it is out modelled and outdated; however, what are the options?
“If we are asking that we should now have ranches and these cows should be constrained to specific areas; such as ranches, then who provides the land?,” he queried.
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Regarding the decision of the Senate to grant the Independent National Electoral Commission the powers to implement the electronic transmission of results, Obaseki maintained that the commission had the capacity.
“With technology today, it is possible and INEC has shown it that from my election; that as soon as you voted and the results are counted in the polling unit, then that result should be made available; such that you already know what would be collated at the ward collation point.
“What has happened in many cases in the past is that people go and vote. The votes are counted in the polling unit; but by the time it gets to the collation point, it changes.
“But this time around, because of the transparency, everybody will see and know what is expected at the collating point.
“That is what happened during my election; and I am a very strong advocate for electronic transmission of results during elections,’’ he said.
