Southern, Middle Belt leaders reject proposed cattle ranching scheme

…Demand transparency on land acquisition, ownership, beneficiaries

…Warn FG against imposing livestock policy on communities

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

Leaders of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) have rejected any attempt to compulsorily allocate community lands in the Middle Belt and southern parts of the country for cattle ranching.

The leaders, comprising representatives of Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), said they were opposed to what they described as an opaque approach to the Federal Government’s proposed livestock policy.

In a statement signed on Wednesday by the Chairman of the SMBLF and leader of Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata; National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali; and President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, the group demanded full disclosure of the government’s plans.

The proposed areas, according to the leaders, include Nasarawa, Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory.

The SMBLF said it was particularly concerned about what it described as the concentration of the proposed pilot scheme in the Middle Belt, despite the availability of large areas of sparsely populated land in other parts of the country.

“The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) is alarmed by the audacious attempt by the Federal Government to take over lands belonging to ethnic communities in the Middle Belt under a spurious ‘pilot scheme’ being introduced in the name of a New National Livestock Policy,” the statement said.

The group stressed that it was not opposed to modern livestock production, ranching or the development of the livestock value chain, but rejected what it described as a coercive and discriminatory approach to land allocation.

“What we reject is the opaque, coercive and discriminatory manner in which this policy is being pursued to the exclusive advantage of nomadic Fulani herdsmen,” it said.

The leaders warned that any pilot scheme implemented without the consent and protection of affected communities could eventually be extended to other parts of the country.

They also said the Federal Government should clarify the legal basis for acquiring the proposed lands, arguing that the Land Use Act should not be interpreted as a blanket authority for arbitrary acquisition of community lands.

“The Federal Government must be reminded that the Land Use Act of 1978 is not a licence for arbitrary land grabbing,” the statement said.

The SMBLF argued that ranching was primarily an economic enterprise and questioned the use of compulsory acquisition powers for the benefit of specific economic interests.

The leaders further expressed concerns about the security and demographic implications of establishing permanent settlements through the livestock policy, citing previous proposals such as Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) and cattle colonies, which generated widespread controversy.

The group said it stood with the Middle Belt Forum in rejecting the proposed scheme and called on communities and governments in the southern states to remain vigilant over any plans involving their lands.

The leaders demanded full disclosure of the proposed ranching locations, the legal instruments backing their acquisition, ownership arrangements, beneficiaries, size of the lands, security implications and funding sources.

They said the government must answer the questions transparently and guarantee the rights of affected communities before proceeding with the policy.

“We warn the Federal Government that the Middle Belt and the South are not dumping grounds for controversial land policies. Our lands belong to our communities that depend on them for farming, homes, livelihoods and survival,” they said.

The SMBLF maintained that it would oppose any attempt to take over community lands under the guise of livestock development, while reiterating that it supported legitimate efforts to modernise Nigeria’s livestock sector.

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