We have no Land for Ranching- Gov. Umahi.

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, has reacted that his people have no land to give out for cattle ranching.

The Governor stated this on Monday evening during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Recall that the Southern Governors has banned open grazing in the region. They had also called on President Buhari to address Nigerians on the state of the nation.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari has recently said the government will return to allowing herders to ply designated grazing routes across the country.

The President had asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to begin the process to see how these routes can be legally put back to use.

Umahi who noted that each state in the South-East already has laws that ban open grazing added that he will work in line with the wish of the people.

According to him, “This is not about the governors, it is about the people, so, whatever position the people take in this regard, that is what will happen. No land in this regard is not owned by individuals, corporate bodies.

“So, this is beyond governors and that is the truth. People calling governors are making a very grievous mistake. Even if I say as a governor in South-East, I want people from this village, I want you to donate this land, the question is: will they allow it?
“I have heard about three communal crisis in my state, and it is all about land. There is a place that I am building a medical university and the people of that village, for a project that is almost completed, went and brought it down. They prefer to have their farms than a medical college. So, the land is a different ball game altogether,” Umahi stated when asked whether he would provide land for ranching as a governor.

Speaking further Umahi added that his people have “said they have no land for ranching. They put me where I am. If I have one acre of land and I am talking about giving land for ranching, I should be talking about that particular land. I can’t be talking about somebody’s land. Yes, constitutionally, I have control over the land but you have to kill all the people to get the land.”

Recall also that the southern governors had also called for the restructuring of the country to address increasing agitations from different parts of the country while restating their commitment to the unity of the country.

The president had however reacted that the governors did not provide any solution to the lingering crisis between farmers and herders in the country.