Opposition grows against FG’s planned grazing reserves in Benue

•Catholic priests, PDP say no land for project

THE Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Makurdi Diocese, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State have rejected the Federal Government’s plan to establish grazing reserves in the state.

In separate statements on Thursday, Chairman, Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association, Reverend Fr. Joseph Terfa Beba, and the state publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bright Antyo, opposed the plan.

In the statement titled: ‘Our Land is not for Sale’, the association rejected the decision of the government to include the state among the states for the pilot phase of the project.

The group expressed concern over the alleged exclusion of the state government from the decision-making and approval process of the project.

It said: “Had the elected leadership of Benue State been genuinely consulted, we believe it would never have consented to any arrangement capable of undermining the rights, dignity, security and ancestral heritage of our people.”

Alleging that the policy is being imposed on the people of the state, the association lamented that Benue communities had suffered killings, displacement, destruction and prolonged insecurity, adding that ranching must not become a disguised instrument for land grabbing, forced occupation or the permanent displacement of indigenous communities.

The group, therefore, called on the Federal Government to respect the constitutional rights of Benue people, engage the state government, traditional and community leaders to ensure that displaced persons are able to return safely to their ancestral lands before the discussions on the ranching policy.

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The statement, signed by Reverend Father Beba, read: “Benue is predominantly an agrarian state, not a pastoralist society; ranching in Benue is, therefore, not viable, and we reject this project idea with all legal and spiritual resources.

“Our land is not for sale and has never been on sale. There is no land in Benue for commercial ranching. Our ancestral homes are not bargaining chips. Our people must return home.”

Also, the opposition PDP in the state described as provocative and unacceptable that Benue land will now be taken from farming communities and converted into grazing settlements.

The party argued that the best approach in modern ranching is for livestock owners to acquire land lawfully and establish ranches as private businesses, just as farmers acquire land for their agricultural enterprises.

It added that the majority of the people in the state depend directly on land for farming and survival, stating that with growing population, expanding communities and increasing demand for agricultural land, most farmers still struggle to acquire sufficient land to cultivate.

The statement read: “The PDP wishes to state without ambiguity that Benue land is not available for grazing reserves, grazing settlements or any policy, whatever name it is given, that seeks to carve out portions of our ancestral lands for the exclusive settlement of herders.

“What we will never support is a scheme under which government takes land belonging to communities and farmers and converts it into grazing reserves or settlements for a particular group.

“There is no idle land in Benue waiting to be donated for grazing reserves,” the party said in its statement signed by its publicity secretary, Antyo.