The Ebonyi state government has
stated that the claim by the federal government that it had agreed to provide
land for cattle ranching was false, stressing that it has not changed its
position on the subject.
The federal government had on
Tuesday listed Ebonyi among the ten states that had agreed to provide land for
ranching, explaining that the aim of the ranching plan is to reduce clashes
between farmers and herdsmen.
The ten states listed by the
federal for the ranching, for which it plans to spend N179billion over the next
10 years include: Adamawa, Benue, Ebonyi, Edo, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Oyo, Plateau,
Taraba and Zamfara.
Aside the loss of lives, the
federal government also said that Nigeria loses about $14 billion (₦5.04
trillion) annually to the conflicts.
Tagged ‘The National Livestock
Transformation Plan, the new plan is built on six key pillars: economic
investment, conflict resolution, law and order, humanitarian relief,
information education and strategic communication; and cross-cutting issues.
The presentation of the plan was
made by the technical adviser to the National Economic Council (NEC), Andrew
Kwasari, on Tuesday in Abuja. The event had in attendance several public
officials including the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh; and the Governor
of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.
The officials present said the
plan was already adopted by all state governors, who are members of the NEC.
But addressing journalists after
the state executive council meeting on Thursday, the state commissioner for
agriculture, Ikechukwu Nwobo, told the federal government that there was no
vacant land for cattle ranching in the state.
He stated that the state
executive council frowned at the news “that the state has directed or provided
for a cattle ranch in Ebonyi State.”
“The highest organ of Ebonyi
State is the state executive council and the state security council and any
decision taken by this council is the last bus stop for the people and
government of Ebonyi State.
Whether the federal government
consulted us, we are not aware of that. The state executive council has decided
and made sure that there is no land for ranching in Ebonyi State.
“We never provided land for
ranching in Ebonyi State and it is still our position and that those land they
said is for ranching is for those Northern state that have always been doing
ranching which have been gazetted before now,” he said.
Nwobo maintained that the state
had no idea that it was included in the ranching, adding that, “We were not
gazetted. There is no land for any ranching in Ebonyi State and we are not
aware that we are among those mentioned as ranching states.
“The ranching programme being
done by the federal government does not include Ebonyi State and it has been
redirected to those states in the North where the farmlands have been gazetted
and have ranching ground which they will now revitalized.”
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