FG WON’T FORCE POLICY ON RANCHING FOR BENUE- GOV ALIA
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BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR
Benue State Governor, Rev.Fr.Hyacinth Alia, has asked people to stay calm about the state being included in the Federal Government’s pilot ranching program.He said the announcement does not mean that cattle ranching will start automatically in Benue.
Alia spoke at the weekend in Makurdi shortly after swearing in newly appointed commissioners, amid reactions to the Federal Government’s announcement listing Benue among states selected for the pilot scheme.
The governor said many residents became agitated without fully understanding the context of the Federal Government’s announcement, stressing that “it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to have any ranch in the state.”
According to him, the state already has a Ministry of Livestock, noting that livestock is a broad term covering animals such as goats, sheep and birds, and is not limited to cattle.
“Livestock is quite generic. So even ordinarily, we have a state law prohibiting open grazing in the state and it is still in force. So it is still in practice,” Alia said.
The governor stressed that the Federal Government’s reference to ranching should first be properly understood before residents draw conclusions about its implications for Benue.
He said the state had historically designated certain areas for livestock-related activities, citing Kyogen as one of the locations mapped out during the administration of former Governor Aper Aku.
“During Aper Aku regime, we had specific places that were mapped out for ranching. We have areas like Kyogen, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are even getting cows to Kyogen,” he explained.
Alia further disclosed that areas in Vandeikya had also been mapped out for the ranching of goats and sheep, stressing that livestock development should not automatically be interpreted as a plan to introduce cattle ranching into the state.
He said Benue could instead explore other opportunities in the livestock value chain without violating the state’s existing prohibition on open grazing.
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