NEWS
Mbah Opens Enugu To Herders, Inks Ranch Mgt Law
The curtain has been drawn on the lengthy anxiety of citizens and residents of Enugu State on the possibility of the state becoming a ranching ‘guinea pig’.
This is as Governor Peter Mbah announced that he singed into law four bills passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly (EHSA).
Gov Mbah took to his verified official X handle hours ago to make public his signing of the bills, which included, the Enugu State Properties Protection Law, the Enugu State Public Ranch Management Law, the Enugu State Sports Development Fund Law, and the Enugu State Environmental and Climate Protection Law.
Though he asserted that the new laws were “to make our state the best place for investment, business, leisure, and living”, sceptics abound as to the veracity of his assertion.
The public have responded in various ways to the development with many expressing concerns on the new laws, particularly that on grazing.
An X user, Theodore Basil, wrote, “Your excellency, let the Law on Ranching be what you said here oooo . Do not give away our lands to Fulani for cattle rearing. They will claim more lands in the future.”
Gov Mbah wrote, “Today, I signed into law a total of four bills recently passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly, all of which aim to make our state the best place for investment, business, leisure, and living.
“They are the Enugu State Properties Protection Law, the Enugu State Public Ranch Management Law, the Enugu State Sports Development Fund Law, and the Enugu State Environmental and Climate Protection Law.
“The Enugu State Properties Protection Law is consistent with our promise to enhance the ease of doing business in our state. People who come to Enugu State to invest in property must be confident that the title document that is issued to them is worth far more than the paper on which it is written. That is why we frown at land grabbers. This law is a strong warning to them. Under the new law, severe and stringent penalties await those involved in such acts.
“The Public Ranch Management Agency Law is a law that has been misunderstood and misrepresented. We have sometimes been accused of surreptitiously attempting to introduce something other than ranching. However, we must put an end to the practice of open grazing, which causes friction between our farmers and herders. Our goal is to see that it ends. In the 21st century, there is no reason we should encourage open grazing of cattle. So, this law is essentially designed to ensure that people act in a civilized manner. We will ensure that there are enough services, such as abattoirs and proper cattle markets, not where people will come and live.
“On the Environmental and Climate Protection Law, we are going beyond lip service to protect our environment. So, today, what we have done today is to set out clear policies and plans for us to protect our environment. We are all aware of the dangers that the depletion of the ozone layer poses to us as a people.
“The Enugu State Sports Development Fund Law would help us build capacity, nurture grassroots talents, promote school sports, and essentially develop our sports sector. We consider sports as more than just a kind of recreation, but as a veritable means through which we can stimulate economic growth. And the bill I signed into law today will assist us in accomplishing this goal.
“I’d want to thank the Honourable Speaker and members of the Enugu State House of Assembly for their hard work in expeditiously passing the four executive bills.”
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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