Olakunle Oluomo, the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, has called for a census to be conducted for cattle entering the South-West state.

Mr. Oluomo stated this during the parliament’s public hearing on the proposed ‘Animal Grazing and Cattle Ranch Establishment Bill.’ 

Mr. Oluomo asked the Ministry of Agriculture and other regulatory agencies to consider introducing a census of animals at entry points into the state for proper documentation.

He added that such a headcount would serve as a source of revenue for the government and be part of security measures to control the cattle’s movement and prevent an outbreak of diseases in the state.

On Wednesday, stakeholders, including farmers and cattle breeders, rejected the lawmakers’ grazing routes proposed in the bill.

They called for the designated routes in the bill to be expunged at a public hearing organised by the House at the assembly’s complex in Abeokuta.

Mr. Oluomo, who presided over the public hearing, promised that lawmakers would consider the public hearing suggestions and accelerate the bill’s passage ahead of the farming season.

The sponsor of the bill, Ganiyu Oyedeji, explained that the bill was part of proactive measures by the lawmakers to forestall criminal herdsmen’s activities and the frequent farmer-herder violent clashes.