RANCHING: We’ll not donate any land even if… —S’East govs

South East governors have made their position on donating land from the region for ranching as proposed by the Federal Government known.

The governors, who met in Enugu State Government House on Sunday, unambiguously said that no land in the area would be given for the purpose of establishing cattle ranch for herdsmen.

The meeting had in attendance governors of Enugu (Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi) and Ebonyi (Dave Umahi). Abia and Anambra were represented by their deputy governors. Only Imo State was absent as neither Governor Rochas Okorocha nor his deputy attended.

The chairman of the South-East Governors Forum, Umahi, made the resolution of the meeting known to newsmen at the end of the meeting.

He said, “No land in the South-East has been donated for ranching. We have not donated any land; we have not been asked to donate and we are not going to donate.

“Ranching is not approved by the South-East, governors in the South-East.”

On the recent killings in Plateau, and the governors’ resolve to meet with heads of federal security agencies over the development, in the communiqué adopted at the meeting and read out by Umahi, the forum said: “The South-East Governors Forum commiserates with the Governor of Plateau State and the people of the state for the recent killings.

“We condemn the killings and join other regions to demand justice for the Plateau people.

“South-East governors have noticed increased challenges in the movement of herdsmen from one state and region to another with the resultant effect of massive destruction of farmlands with attendant clashes with farmers.

“South-East governors have been spending huge funds in settling farmers whose farms and crops are destroyed– we, therefore, request an emergency meeting in the South-East with federal security chiefs, farmers and herdsmen to stop the movements and prevent clashes.”

The president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, had also during the meeting presented Ohanaeze’s ‘template on restructuring’ to the governors.

READ ALSO: Angry over split, APC vows to sue R-APC for these 4 ‘sins’

The forum responding on the template said, “Ndigbo’s Stand on Restructuring of Nigeria was presented to the South – East Governors Forum by the Ohanaeze President, based on the resolutions arising from the Awka enlarged Igbo meeting.

“He (Ohanaeze president ) also laid down the template for the governors. The Forum thanked Ohanaeze on a job well done and reiterated its earlier stand that restructuring is the only way forward for Nigeria.

“The Forum also decided that the governors should take a studied look at the template of restructuring and will make its final stand clear by the next meeting of the Forum.”

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now