How I survived attacks from Biafrans over grazing bill — Imo Lawmaker

Owerri—A lawmaker in Imo State House of Assembly, Mrs. Uju Onwudiwe, yesterday, said she survived the threats from pro-Biafra agitators over the controversial “grazing bill” after she explained the motive of the bill to them. The lawmaker revealed this, in Owerri while fielding questions from Vanguard. Onwudiwe, who represents Njaba state constituency, said the bill was to establish ‘mechanized agricultural estate and farm settlement’ and that it was not a grazing bill as people called it. She said: “After we have met with stakeholders and technocrats, we changed the word from settlement to cluster.” She also revealed to Vanguard that a public hearing on the bill will take place when the Imo State House of Assembly commences activities for the year. ”It will be announced for everybody to attend,” she added. Explaining her ordeal to Vanguard, she said: “My most challenging moment as a lawmaker was when I brought the bill on Mechanized Agricultural Estate and Farm settlement and people tagged it grazing bill. I stood firm because it was for the credit of our people. “I received threats from many people including the Biafra agitators. They were bitter. They said I was bringing a grazing bill to Imo state, they were not happy because Fulani herdsmen were killing people.” It was her view that, at the end the the saga, the negative impression which the bill created brought her positivity. “At the end,the bill turns out to be a credit to me but it started negatively. We explained to people and they understood us. Today, they are calling us to know when the public hearing on the bill will commence.”