New FCT Minister Promises to End Open Grazing in Abuja
The recently appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has pledged to stop the practice of open grazing by herdsmen in Abuja.
Wike, formerly the Governor of Rivers State, made this commitment during a press conference on Monday – just hours after being sworn in as Minister.
“We will discuss with the herdsmen to figure out how we can end open grazing, because we cannot allow cows to wander freely inside the city,” he stated at the event in Abuja’s Garki district.
The new Minister took a firm stance against permitting cattle to graze openly across the capital city, signaling that this activity will no longer be tolerated under his administration.
“They can be outside the city because the grasses are outside the city. The grasses in the city were planted to beautify the city. It is not that one that they would eat.
“So, we will discuss. It is important. Let us say it, you are trying inside the [Presidential] Villa for example, and you see about 20,000 to 40,000 goats, if foreigners see that, how would they feel?”
Asides from that, Wike also threaten to demolish structures not built according to the city’s master plan.
“All those people who are distorting the master plan of Abuja, too bad. If you know you have built where you’re not supposed to build, it will go down,” Wike added.
He also cautioned landowners who had taken over “the green areas” to build properties, saying those areas must return
“If you hate green, you must hate yourself. So, if you know you have anybody involved that has taken over the green areas or has taken over the parks to where you now do restaurants, no, we will not accept that. Sorry,” he said.
Wike equally promised to deal with street trading, maintaining that it bred insecurity.
“We are not going to tolerate the issue of everywhere is market. Yes, I know that things are difficult, but that doesn’t mean you should cause crises for other people. You are looking for what to put in your stomach, it must be done within the framework of the law,” the FCT minister said.
“In a city, people are selling with umbrellas under the trees. These things caused insecurity. We can not allow it.”
