The Civil Liberties Organisation, Akwa Ibom State Chapter has urged the Southern Governors Forum to back up resolutions made at their last meeting with law, especially the ban on open cattle grazing.

The CLO also commended the 17 governors for the courage to come up with the resolution and told them to follow up the decision by forwarding Bills to their respective Houses of Assembly.

In a press statement signed by the chairman, Otuekong Franklyn Isong and the Secretary, Christopher Ekpo Esq, issued to journalists in Uyo on Monday, the CLO, urged the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel to establish ranches in the 31 Local Government Areas of the State for cattle and other livestock.

The group also asked Governor Emmanuel to address the demands of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) by implementing Section 121(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to end the strike action that has crippled activities in the State House of Assembly.

It added that such would enable the State Governor to send a Bill to the House of Assembly for a Law to prohibit open grazing in the State.

It further added, “if the Government of Akwa Ibom State had been proactive and had had the political will to push through an Anti-Open Grazing Bill, which was nipped at its second hearing in the State House of Assembly in 2017, Akwa Ibom State would not only have been safer, but would have, in addition, been a reference point for other States and, indeed, the entire country in the face of the current spate of insecurity caused by herder/farmer conflicts.”

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On the persistent attacks on police formations in Akwa Ibom State, the Civil Society Organisation called on both the Federal and State governments to provide adequate logistics and security gadgets for the Police to tackle the rising crime rate in the state.

The statement in parts, “the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Akwa Ibom State Branch has reviewed the security situation in the state in recent times and is disturbed by the unabated attacks on Police Stations and Police Formations in Akwa Ibom State, particularly in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

“More worrisome is the fact that these attacks have claimed the lives of some serving Police officers and civilians. CLO condemns these attacks and calls on the Federal and State governments to secure police formations and provide more vehicles, modern security gadgets and other logistics to the Police and other security agencies in the State to enable them combat the rising crime rate in Akwa Ibom State.

“On the recent meeting by Governors of the Southern States: CLO commends the courage of the 17 Governors of the southern States of Nigeria for their decision to ban open cattle grazing in the 17 southern States of Nigeria. CLO urges the respective Governors in the southern states of Nigeria to follow up this decision by forwarding Bills to their respective Houses of Assembly to that effect.

“To this end, CLO urges the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to address, without delay, the demands of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) by implementing Section 121(3) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) to bring an end to the strike action that has crippled activities in the State House of Assembly.

“This is to enable the State Governor to send a Bill to the House of Assembly for a Law to prohibit open grazing in Akwa Ibom. CLO also urges the Governor of Akwa Ibom State to establish ranches in the 31 Local Government Areas of the State for cattle and other livestock.”