SHAME ! Herdsmen invade Ibom Unity Park .Turn prestigious Park to Cattle Grazing Zone

The days of the Ibom Unity Park as a prestigious centre of attraction in Akwa Ibom State seems to be over as the dreaded Fulani Herdsmen have turned the pride of the state to a cattle grazing zone to the dismay of residents of Uyo.

The Ibom Unity Park is a lush greenery serene environment which harbours Uyo cenotaph and the giant epitaph of great patriarchies of Akwa Ibom state. It is located along Udo Udoma Avenue, beside the state House of Assembly, in Uyo, the state capital.

The Park which is under the care of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has recently been taken over by herdsmen who have taken advantage of the serene atmosphere of the park to feed their cattle without any government establishment or security personnel in the state raising any eyebrow.

When our roving reporter visited the Park last week Wednesday and Thursday, a large number of cows shepherded by scantily dressed herdsmen were seen freely grazing.

Residents of Udo Udoma Avenue who spoke to our reporter expressed shock that the once revered Park which was constructed by the administration of Obong Victor Attah has been invaded and turned to a grazing zone by herdsmen.

The menace of herdsmen and their cattle has become an issue of concern in the country of recent.

Last month , a bill for a law to regulate and control cattle grazing in Akwa Ibom scaled through the second reading at the plenary of the House of Assembly.

The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Nse Ntuen, lawmaker representing Essien Udim state constituency and 11 others, sought to prohibit uncontrolled grazing of cattle across the state.

Ntuen, the lead sponsor, said that the bill, when passed into law, would check incessant destruction of food crops on farmlands by grazing cattle and other ruminants.

He said that the bill would abolish night grazing and make provision for designated grazing areas or cattle ranches across the state.

He said that the bill would prohibit any person from allowing cattle or other ruminants belonging to him or under his control to graze on lands that were not designated as grazing areas.

The bill is seeking the prohibition of the movement of cattle and other ruminants at night, while restricting the movement of the animals to specific hours of the day.