- Agric Ministry Didn’t Inform Us – Miyetti Allah
By Amos Aar, in Makurdi
FOUR cows were auctioned to the public by the Benue State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in conjunction with Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS) at the Bureau of Archives Research and Documentation, Makurdi, an official of the ministry disclosed this to newsmen on Friday, October 30, 2020.
The official, Mr Martin Tseuma, Director of Administration and Supply in the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who represented Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Hon. Timothy Ijir, briefed newsmen that the auctioned cows were confiscated in August this year by livestock guards for contravening the state’s Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017.
Mr Tseuma stated that the anti-open grazing law stipulates that impounded livestock that stay in excess of seven days in custody of livestock guards without being claimed shall be auctioned to the public. He said the four cows had been in custody for 23 days without the owners coming to claim them.
“It is just to comply with the law that we have prohibited open grazing and the livestock guards impounded those cows and they failed to come and pay the fine. That is the reason why we are auctioning them and the State Executive Council has approved it. It is not a hidden thing. The state government is aware, so we are only complying with the law.
“The cows were impounded on the 6th of August up till this time. This is 23 days, so it is against the law. They [owners] are aware that their cows were impounded and ought to have come to claim their cows. But since they have failed, we are only working according to the law of the state.
“Mr Tseuma explained that the biggest cow was sold for N70,000 (seventy thousand naira) only while the smallest one went for fifty thousand (50,000) only.
Commander of the state livestock guards, Mr Linus Zaki, urged everybody who owns livestock to ranch them well so that the law will not catch-up with them, saying the anti-open grazing law was not limited to cows. “If we see even your goats, sheep or pigs grazing openly, we will arrest them,” the commander told journalists.
When contacted for comments via text message to his mobile phone, the Secretary of the Benue State branch of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Mr Ibrahim Galma, replied: “My reaction on this issue is that the Ministry of Agriculture has not informed us about the auction. If there are some impounded cows in their custody, they should have informed us before auctioning the cows in order to enable us identify the cows and process for their release to the right owner. So it’s unfortunate.”
