Masari backs Southern govs, says open grazing is un-Islamic 

By AUGUSTINE OKEZIE, Katsina

Katsina Governor Aminu Masari has thrown his weight behind Southern Governors on ban of open grazing, describing the practice, which encourages herders to move from one location to another as ‘’un-Islamic’’

Masari, who spoke to select reporters at Government House Katsina as part of activities to mark second year of his second term in office, argued necessary infrastructure on livestock farming should be provided in States for ranching as against open grazing.

He said: “This is something we have to do through development, provide necessary infrastructure that will make the herders not to move. Why should herders from Katsina move?

‘’The herders’ movement is essentially in search of two things: water and fodder. If we can provide these two items why should they move?

‘’This roaming about I don’t think. For us its un-Islamic and is not the best. It is part of the problem we are having today. I don’t support that we should continue with the way open grazing is’’.

On devolution of power through restructuring, he argued States urgently need resources to implement what should have been implemented at the Federal level

According to him: ‘’ I support devolution totally, the federal government is trying. But the states need to have resource to implement what should have been implemented by the Federal Government.

‘’If today the States will support the Police, the Police system will go up. If the states withdraw their support to security agencies, they won’t be able to move from here to there.

‘’So, I absolutely support devolution in totality. So as a Government of Katsina we should be allowed by the Constitution, within the Constitution to decide on many things that are peculiar to us’’.

‘’The Federal Government should have a benchmark and people should not operate beyond this mark. Lagos State is generating up toN4bn and something billion, while Katsina State is just generating N2bn.

“I expect with proper restructuring, states should own the reflective of what they earns from within their State.” (The Nation)