BENUE State Governor Hyacinth Alia has assured residents that no ranch will be established in the state without the consent of the people and his administration.
Alia gave the assurance in Katsina-Ala during a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Federal Constituency.
He said Benue people would not allow any external force to forcibly cede their land for ranching.
“Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to pastoralists for any purpose. If that must happen, I can assure you, it will not be this time that I am still the governor of Benue,” he said.
The governor’s position came amid concerns over the Federal Government’s proposed ranching policy and the inclusion of Benue as a pilot state.
Alia also announced measures to strengthen security in the area, saying three military operational units would be established in the area from the newly created 5 Division, Nigerian Army.
According to him, the units would be located at Agu in Katsina-Ala, Anyiin in Logo and Azendeshi in Ukum local government areas.
The governor also announced the donation of 30 motorcycles to security agencies in the area to enhance patrols and rapid response to distress calls.
On infrastructure, Alia announced plans to construct a new dam with a projected capacity of 460 megawatts.
“The project will provide water and support electricity generation in the state,” he said.
Alia is currently on a statewide thank-you tour to appreciate members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for electing him as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate.
The tour also features town hall meetings with stakeholders across the state’s 11 federal constituencies.
The ICIR reports that Benue and Plateau states are the epicentres of herder-farmer conflicts in Nigeria. The feuds have seen thousands of innocent people killed in past years, with stakeholders, including past governments recommending ranching as part of panaceas to the crises.
Several attempts to end the conflicts have failed to yield desired results.
(NAN)