Benue Elders confront Buhari over cattle routes

The plan by the Federal Government to reopen old cattle routes across the country has got Benue State elders fuming and kicking.

Three socio-cultural organisations in the state, Mdzough U Tiv, Ochetoha K’Idoma and Omi Ny ’ Igede, in a joint world press conference in Makurdi, the state capital on Tuesday, rejected the plan saying it was unfashionable.

President Muhammadu Buhari had during a recent meeting with stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress from Benue State, who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said his government was making concerted efforts “to reopen old cattle routes” for free cattle grazing in the country.

But president general, Mdzough U Tiv, Chief Edward Ujege; his Ochetoha K’Idoma counterpart, Adoya Amali, and the Omi Ny ’ Igede leader, Ben Okpa, at the conference said the reintroduction of cattle routes in the country was not just unfashionable but also not feasible.

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According to them, the plan was in total opposition to President Buhari administration’s economic diversification policy through agricultural production.

“If the Federal Government is sincere about the claimed diversification of the economy through agriculture and plans to encourage commercial farming, how will this succeed when the same government is planning to open up old grazing routes, some of which are now being occupied as a result of development in the society?” they asked.

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