Drop idea of grazing bill, Catholic bishops tell FG

                                
Catholic bishops in Enugu have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to drop the idea of the grazing bill to forestall ethnic clashes and crises in the country.
The advice came after the 20km peaceful procession of more than 7 000 catholic faithful in Enugu.
The Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, said that Nigerians were already suffering much on account of the present economic hardship and free grazing in communities in the South would further compound it.
Onaga, who spoke on behalf of Catholic Bishops in Nsukka and Awgu Dioceses, noted that this would amount to government abdicating its responsibility of providing security for the people.
``As responsible citizens, clergymen, spiritual leaders and opinion leaders, we have been praying about and deliberating on these mounting challenges.
``At the end of a long prayer session with the members of our flock and after careful consultations with thoughtful men and women across the state, we have come to the following conclusions:
``That the free grazing of cattle in our area has now become a threat not only to the growing of crops, which is the mainstay of our sedentary people, but also to our lives.
``That the nomadic lifestyle makes policing and the pursuit of criminals much more complex and hazardous,’’ he said.
The bishop urged community leaders to refrain from entering into agreements with herdsmen or with any other groups of persons that would create room for tension and crisis.