Tribal leaders in Benue State, on the platform of the Mdzough U Tiv, MUT, Idoma National Forum (INF), and Omi Ny’Igede, ONI, have refused a Federal Government proposal to use over N179 billion to construct ranches in 10 states, expressing fear that the proposal could be a plan to grab and hand over Benue land to herdsmen in the guise of ranches.

Leaders of the three tribes— Chief Edward Ujege, President-General, MUT; Chief Amali Amali, President-General, INF, and Chief Ben Okpe, President General, ONI— they insisted that the provisions of the Benue Grazing Law should be the benchmark for grazing in the state.

This came as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to exercise caution and hold further consultations before going ahead with the N179 billion ranches project.

Meanwhile, the statement by the three tribe leaders in Benue Sate read in part “The proposal is for the Federal Government to establish pilot cattle ranches in 10 states, including Benue, and it has a 10-year plan estimated to gulp N179 billion. While we appreciate the position of the Federal Government to accept ranching as the global best method of animal husbandry, which has been our position in Benue State, we reject the idea to use public funds to construct ranches for a private business of cattle rearing. We wish to state that cattle rearing remains a private business in the world and Nigeria in particular, just like crop farming, and should be treated as such.”