The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said on Tuesday the state government would do everything possible to protect the lives and property of the people of the state.
Akeredolu, who stated this when the State Overseer of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry led the church pastorate to his office in Akure, said although the new anti-open grazing law in the state was not acceptable to some people, the government would not withdraw it.
He added that the state government would ensure that farmers no longer lose farm crops through the outdated open grazing practice by herdsmen.
The governor said: “I want to urge you to intensify your prayers for us. We need it. You have referred to our efforts in trying to secure this our homeland. We have made efforts, established Amotekun, and banned open grazing.
“It is not what is pleasing to everybody. Some people are not pleased with us. We are ready to stand by it and face whatever it will cost us. Pray for us.
“Amotekun and the anti-open grazing law are not pleasing to some people and they are gathering together, planning evil. Pray for us. Their evil will not work.
“What we are saying is that your herds can not keep destroying our crops. The Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has come and we have discussed it.
“The Miyetti-Allah here in Ondo appears to want to cooperate with us because they know that when their cows destroy crops, we seize their cows and they pay the farmers before they are released.
“We just want to make it clear that you can’t make your own ends meet and destroy other people’s source of livelihood. We know your prayers are very important to us. We need it.”
