Implement anti-open grazing law, Women group tells S’East govs

Implement anti-open grazing law, Women group tells S’East govs

The Iwe Women Assembly (IWA), a pan-Igbo group, has advised the governors of the South East states to immediately begin implementing the anti-open grazing laws enacted by their respective Houses of Assembly.

The group also urged states that have not yet enacted such laws to do so without delay, stating that the implementation would help mitigate insecurity and prevent looming famine in the region.

IWA President Nneka Chimezie and her members made this demand while briefing journalists in Umuahia. Chimezie attributed the rising cost of food in the South East to the destruction of farms by herdsmen’s cattle, which led to significant losses for farmers.

The IWA members further noted that their sons were relocating from the South East to other parts of the country and beyond due to insecurity and fear of bandits and overzealous security agencies.

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According to Chimezie, communities like Orlu, Mbano, and Awo Idemili now have low numbers of youths, which she warned could have dire consequences for the region.

The group also condemned the killing of soldiers in Abia State and called for the arrest of the perpetrators. However, they appealed to military authorities to ensure that only the real criminals are targeted and that innocent people are not punished.

“We totally condemn the killing of soldiers in Aba. Those soldiers are people’s husbands and fathers.

“At the same time, we demand that innocent people and communities are not made victims of what they don’t know,” the group appealed.

IWA further used the occasion to raise the alarm that most Igbo children living within and outside Igbo land no longer speak Igbo language, saying that the language may go extinct in a few years if the ugly trend was not arrested.

Implement anti-open grazing law, Women group tells S’East govs