PDP Governor Praise Buhari.

Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, says the anti-open grazing law he signed into law will be implemented without fail as from January next year. Speaking at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday, Ishaku explained that adequate sensitisation of farmers and herdsmen had been going on, preparatory to the law taking effect.

Addressing State House correspondents after his meeting with President Buhari, the governor said he would, however, want presidential directives to return soldiers that have been redeployed from Taraba recently as the state was still in need of them. The anti-open grazing law in Taraba follows a similar law in neighbouring Benue State as several state governments explore ways to curb deadly attacks on farming villages by cattle rearers.

According to Ishaku: “Taraba State is quite calm. Our own anti-grazing law will come into effect next year January. Two panels were set up to sensitise the farmers and the herdsmen so that they both understand the benefits of the anti-grazing bill. “I still believe for the herdsmen socially and economically, that is the best thing that will ever happen to them if we can consolidate on that.

The awareness is improving each day and people are beginning to know that these laws are done in good faith and are done to secure lives and properties of the people. We are sure that there will be not much hindrance to its implementation. “You know security is the sole prerogative of Mr President, it is his assignment.

We state governments rely on the federal government for the soldiers, the police, and all the security agencies and therefore, you need the presidential directives to be able to enhance the security in the states. “This is particularly so in my state where some of the soldiers have been withdrawn to other areas in the country. We will need them if possible to come back so that we will feel more secure and continue to live in peace.”

On other issues affecting the State for which he sought the President’s ears, the governor said: “I’m here in the villa to brief Mr President on the situation of things in Taraba State. I also reported to him security-wise that we have recorded a few successes with regards to Peace in the state and we need to enhance it.

Therefore, we will need his presidential support in that manner. “Also to generally brief him on the success we are having on agriculture and to also thank him very much indeed about the award of Mambilla hydro-power project which is one of the biggest hydro-projects in Nigeria. “It has stayed over 30 years on the drawing board until his administration. So that is a very big feat and I thought I should come and thank him and seek his audience when next I will come with Taraba people to thank him.

It is a very good project for the country as a whole- 3,050 megawatts. “I’m sure you are aware of our popular greenhouse project. Last year we had 16,000 in the rice farm we want to quadruple that by this year and therefore, we need assistance, particularly to build channels where we can distribute water because the dry season farming is more popular than the rainy season.

“We have also gone into other crops now, cocoa, beniseed and soya beans, all these we are recording huge successes in the state. ‘We have recorded huge success in education and we have moved hitherto from less than 28 per cent in WAEC, this year, for the first time we had 67.3 per cent in WAEC and as at last month when they graded the whole country, we were number 8th in the whole country and number one in the northern states. We have really pushed education very high and we intend to push it to an enviable height.” (Source:Breaking times)