Open grazing is ‘unIslamic’ — Masari

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has added his voice to the current debate over the ban on open grazing in the southern part of the country.

Masari, who spoke during a media chat in his office on Tuesday as part of the events marking the second year of the second term in office said open grazing is “unIslamic”.

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The governor underscored the need to provide necessary infrastructure that would prevent herders from moving from one location to the other in search of water and fodder.

“Why should herders from Katsina move? It is essential for two things: water and fodder. If we provide it, then why should they move? This roaming about for us is unislamic and is not the best. And it is part of the problem we are having today. I don’t support that we should continue with the way open grazing is,” he said.

Masari said he was in total support of the devolution of powers from the federal government to the state, stressing that that ultimately means restructuring.

The governor said the federal government should have a benchmark and people should not operate beyond that benchmark, adding that while Lagos State generates over N400bn, Katsina State is just generating N2bn.

“So, I expect that if we devolve properly or restructure, I expect even the Governor of Kano to earn more than myself. So, my councillor should earn reflective of the economy of my state. So, this issue people are talking of devolution, we heard it before in the first republic. We have been too centralised. I don’t think anybody still needs that we should allow that forever,” Masari said.