Group opposes FG ranching pilot in Benue

The Tiv people of Benue State in diaspora under the aegis of ‘Mutual Union of Tiv in America’ have joined other groups and individuals to raise their voice against the Federal Government’s National Ranching Policy.

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, had disclosed the plan to implement the National Ranching Policy by rehabilitating grazing reserves and establishing modern ranching settlements in five states, including Benue, identified as major conflict flashpoints nationwide.

The move is part of efforts aimed at ending recurring clashes between crop farmers and herders across the country.

Several groups and individuals, such as Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests, Makurdi Diocese and the Peoples Democratic Party, had rejected the proposal.

In a statement issued and signed by the President and Secretary of the Mutual Union of Tiv in America, Prof Akaa Ayangeakaa and Prof Joseph Zume, a copy made available to journalists in Makurdi on Monday, called on the Federal Government to suspend the proposed grazing reserve in Benue State.

The group, which lamented the repeated attacks on Benue communities in the past decade, called on the Federal Government to resolve the displacement of the people,  restore affected communities to their lands, guarantee their security, and obtain meaningful public consent instead of establishing a grazing reserve.

The statement read, “Following an emergency meeting on this matter, MUTA unanimously resolved to oppose the inclusion of Benue State in the pilot programme and to call upon the Government of Benue State, traditional institutions, community leaders, civil society organisations, elected representatives, and all concerned citizens to pursue every lawful and democratic means available to protect the rights and ancestral lands of the people.

“For more than a decade, communities across Benue State have endured devastating attacks, loss of lives, destruction of homes and farms, and mass displacement associated with violent herdsmen attacks.

“Large numbers of our people remain uprooted from their ancestral communities and continue to live under extremely difficult conditions in Internally Displaced Persons camps.

“Against this painful background, the proposal to establish a federal ranching pilot in Benue State, without first resolving the displacement crisis, restoring affected communities to their lands, guaranteeing their security, and obtaining meaningful public consent, is profoundly troubling.”

The group noted that the responsibility of government is to secure the people, restore displaced citizens to their ancestral communities, and protect their land rights instead of introducing a policy that could deepen existing fears of dispossession.

While stating that many villagers affected by violence across the state have not been able to return safely to their ancestral lands, the group insisted that any proposal involving the allocation, designation, acquisition, or conversion of land for ranching under any circumstances creates a legitimate fear that displaced communities could permanently lose access to lands from which they were forced out.

The group, among others, demanded more explanation on the reason the state was selected for the pilot ranching programme, the criteria used, and consultations made with affected communities before the decision was made.

It further demanded to know who will own and operate the proposed ranches, whether they will belong to Benue communities, the government, private investors, livestock owners from outside the state, or some combination thereof.

“We call on the Federal Government to suspend Benue State’s participation in the proposed pilot but should rather prioritise the safe return, rehabilitation, compensation, and protection of displaced communities,” the statement read.