Benue State stakeholders drawn from the traditional
institution, the church, socio-cultural organisations, academia, and civil
society on Wednesday rejected the federal government proposed National Livestock
Transformation Plan (NLTP), describing it as a round peg in a square hole.
The stakeholders made their position known at the
Benue Peoples House in Makurdi during an interface with a delegation from the
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Tor Lobi, Chief Moses Anagende and Tor Kwande,
Chief Ambrose Iyortyer, who spoke for traditional rulers, said what was best
for the federal government was to rebuild homes, schools, churches and other
properties destroyed during herders invasion of the state, and to rehabilitate
the highly traumatised displaced persons who are still languishing in
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.
They stated that the document detailing the NLTP
and its implementation only talks about cattle and no other category of
livestock, stressing that the plan was a reintroduction of the rejected Ruga
settlements and cattle colonies for herdsmen.
Professor Amstrong Adejo of the Benue State
University stated that the word livestock as captured in the document was
holistic, but the conclusion was particular about cows, saying the document was
a proposal which he advised the state government to set up a committee to dissect
it and come up with Benue's position.
Mrs. Josephine Haba, who represented the civil society
organisations, wondered why Benue State had recently been a theatre of killings,
but instead of the federal government to address the plight of those who
suffered the attacks, it brought an architect to redesign structures for
pastoralists in the state.
Others, including Archbishop Yimam Orkwar, Chairman,
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benue State; Reverend Akpen Leva,
President Mdzough u Tiv; Chief Edward Ujege and former House of Representatives
member, Mrs. Rebecca Apezan, lamented that security men now escort the Benue
people to bury their loved ones because herdsmen have occupied the people's
ancestral homes.
She described the NLTP as Ruga in different regalia.
The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural
Resources, Dr. Timothy Ijir, said the state was evolving its agricultural development
policy which he said captures the people's interest.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Development
Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, Dr. Magdalyne Dura, had in an address, stated that
the meeting was to explain to the stakeholders in details the LTPS document
which had been made available with implementation guidelines, stressing that
states were at liberty to domesticate the policy based on their peculiarities.
Head of the federal government delegation, Dr. Nyager,
had earlier briefed the Benue State stakeholders on the NLTP, saying it was
aimed at promoting animal husbandry in the country.
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