Cross River State House of Assembly has charged the state Ministry of Environment and relevant animal control agencies to address unrestrained domestic animal movement within the Calabar metropolis immediately.
The lawmakers urged animal owners to confine their animals in one place rather than allowing the animals to roam the streets to constitute a nuisance.
The animal control law resolution followed a motion presented by a lawmaker representing Obubra 1 state constituency, Mr Ovat Agbor and advocated good sanitization of the city.
He lamented how stray animals such as goats, sheep, and cattle pose a nuisance by littering streets, destroying gardens, and defacing greenery areas that are supposed to promote city aesthetics.
Agbor also highlighted the dangers posed by stray animals, citing a recent incident where a stray dog attacked a schoolboy, inflicting severe injuries. He stressed that it is the owners’ responsibility to care for and confine their animals.
While supporting the motion, the lawmaker representing Boki 2 state constituency, Hillary Bissong, described the trend as a bad one that is detrimental to the state’s tourism potential.
Also speaking, speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Elvert Ayambem, described the motion as timely, affirming the House’s commitment to maintaining Calabar’s status as Nigeria’s cleanest city.
