Efio-Ita Nyok|2 May 2016|7:20am
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly (CRSHA), Rt. Hon. John Gaul Lebo, recently took to his social media account to register his perspective on the on going Grazing Commission Bill presently entertaining debates in Nigeria's National Assembly (NASS).
In an post titled: 'The National Assembly has no Legislative Jurisdiction to Pass Grazing Commission Law for States', the leading law maker contended that after his carefully studying the proposal and executive summary for the bill for a law to provide for a Grazing Commission Act to become laws in the states of the Federation, 'The Powers of the Legislature under S 4(6) confers jurisdiction on the house of ASSEMBLY to make Laws for the state'.
According to Speaker Lebo, 'The Concurrent list deals with shared Legislative jurisdiction between states and the National ASSEMBLY. Under the above provisions and List, the National ASSEMBLY cannot make a Law to provide for Grazing Commission that will apply to states, only the state ASSEMBLY (s) can make Laws for Grazing Commission in each State'. He hinged his submission on the premise that the 'Grazing Commission is completely a Business case Law with private Economic benefit to the owners of the cattle, if they want to graze then let them apply for Grazing Land and set up their private Ranch for Grazing'.
It was therefore on the basis of invoking the concurrent powers of the state to legislate in matters thereto and the above learned interpretation that Lebo deprived NASS the legislative powers to enact a law that would have a cascading influence down to the state, especially Cross River State. Here, the Speaker is not categorically ruling out a Grazing Commission Act or reserve as his counterpart in Osun State, who through the her state governor, has ruled out any Grazing Commission Act or reserve.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroid Haven
