The Mutual Union of Tiv in America has opposed the Federal Government’s plan to include Benue State in its pilot National Ranching Policy.
According to The Punch the Federal Government, through the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, recently announced plans to rehabilitate grazing reserves and establish modern ranching settlements in five states considered major conflict hotspots.
The initiative is aimed at addressing recurring conflicts between farmers and herders across the country.
However, the proposal has faced opposition from several groups, including Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests in the Makurdi Diocese and the Peoples Democratic Party.
In a statement signed by the President and Secretary of the Mutual Union of Tiv in America, Prof Akaa Ayangeakaa and Prof Joseph Zume, the group urged the Federal Government to suspend the proposed ranching pilot in Benue.
MUTA said the government should first address the displacement of communities affected by violence, facilitate their safe return to their ancestral homes and provide adequate security before introducing any ranching programme.
“Following an emergency meeting on this matter, MUTA unanimously resolved to oppose the inclusion of Benue State in the pilot programme and to call upon the Government of Benue State, traditional institutions, community leaders, civil society organisations, elected representatives, and all concerned citizens to pursue every lawful and democratic means available to protect the rights and ancestral lands of the people.
“For more than a decade, communities across Benue State have endured devastating attacks, loss of lives, destruction of homes and farms, and mass displacement associated with violent herdsmen attacks.
The group noted that many affected residents remained displaced and were living in difficult conditions in Internally Displaced Persons camps.
“Large numbers of our people remain uprooted from their ancestral communities and continue to live under extremely difficult conditions in Internally Displaced Persons camps.
“Against this painful background, the proposal to establish a federal ranching pilot in Benue State, without first resolving the displacement crisis, restoring affected communities to their lands, guaranteeing their security, and obtaining meaningful public consent, is profoundly troubling.”
MUTA argued that the government’s priority should be the protection of citizens and restoration of displaced communities rather than implementing a policy that could heighten concerns over land ownership and dispossession.
The group said many communities affected by violence had yet to return safely to their ancestral lands, adding that allocating, designating, acquiring or converting land for ranching could create fears that displaced residents might permanently lose access to their properties.
It also demanded clarification on why Benue was selected for the pilot programme, the criteria used in making the decision and the extent of consultation with affected communities.
The group further sought details on the ownership and management structure of the proposed ranches, questioning whether they would be controlled by Benue communities, the government, private investors, livestock owners from outside the state or a combination of stakeholders.
“We call on the Federal Government to suspend Benue State’s participation in the proposed pilot but should rather prioritise the safe return, rehabilitation, compensation, and protection of displaced communities,” the statement read.
