Benue Has No 5000 Hectares Of Land To Lease For Ranching – Gov. Ortom

Governor Ortom Of Benue State Condemns Killings

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on Tuesday said that the state has no 5,000 hectares of land to donate for the establishment of ranches as requested by the Federal Government.

He said the state could only afford to lease land to law-abiding Nigerians who were willing to live peacefully in Benue and do their legitimate businesses.

Governor Ortom spoke at the Government House, in Makurdi, while inaugurating the 19 chairmen and members of state owned Boards and Commissions.

While describing as ‘saddening and barbaric’, the spate of killings and destruction of property in Benue, Plateau and other parts of the North Central by armed militant herdsmen, the Governor said “We have said that those who are law abiding are free to live in Benue state and do there legitimate businesses.

“They can apply for land and set up their ranches in line with the provisions of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishments Law.

“Our adoption of ranching is to the extent of what is in our law and I have repeatedly said that we do not have one single 5,000 hectares of land for the establishment of a single massive ranch but we can avail individuals land to set up personal ranches as provided by our law which remains the panacea for the crisis.”

 Naija News recalls that The governor, while condoling with his Plateau State colleague, Simon Lalong over the killings, called on security agencies to make immediate arrests and prosecute the leadership of Miyetti Allah following their admission that the attack was a reprisal for the killing of 300 cows belonging to their members.