FG’s pilot ranching project: Fresh controversy over choice of Benue

Fresh controversy has continued to trail the Federal Government’s decision to include Benue State among states selected for the pilot phase of its proposed ranching programme.

The initiative, which is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise livestock production and address the perennial farmers-herders crisis, has generated concerns among political leaders, socio-cultural organisations, religious groups and other stakeholders in Benue.

At the centre of the controversy is the question of why Benue, a state that has suffered years of violent attacks, displacement of farming communities and conflicts associated with open grazing, should be selected for the pilot project.

The three major socio-cultural organisations in the state — Mdzough U Tiv, Ochetoha k’Idoma and Omi Ny’Igede — have expressed reservations over the programme, insisting that security and the return of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their ancestral homes must take priority.

Speaking on behalf of the groups, Chairman of the Benue Socio-Cultural Organisations, Air Commodore Titus Agbecha (retd.), said the organisations were not opposed to ranching as a modern system of animal husbandry.

They, however, maintained that any ranching programme in Benue must be voluntary, community-driven and implemented in a manner that would not threaten agricultural production or dispossess communities of their ancestral lands.

The groups also demanded extensive consultation and dialogue with affected communities before land is committed to the project.

They argued that with thousands of displaced persons still unable to return to their communities, allocating land for ranching without first addressing displacement and insecurity could deepen suspicion among residents.

“Benue is the food basket of the nation. For Nigeria to be food secure, Benue farmers must first be secure on their land,” Agbecha said.

The controversy has also assumed a political dimension, with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue demanding clarity from Governor Hyacinth Alia on the position of his administration regarding the Federal Government’s proposal.

Governor Alia, however, has called for caution over the issue amid growing concerns, while his administration has indicated that engagement with communities whose lands may be considered for the programme is necessary.

Other groups have outrightly rejected the proposal. The Benue State Law Students Association of Nigeria, BENLAWSAN, for instance, argued that locating pilot ranches in Middle Belt states already facing pressure on agricultural land could worsen competition over land and heighten existing tensions.

The development has consequently reopened the long-running debate over ranching, land ownership, open grazing and the protection of farming communities in Benue State.

For many of those raising objections, the controversy is not necessarily about opposition to ranching itself, but about where the ranches will be located, how the land will be acquired, who will own and operate them, and what guarantees will be provided to host communities.

They are also demanding answers on the fate of displaced farmers whose ancestral communities remain deserted or inaccessible because of insecurity.

As debate over the proposed pilot project continues, pressure is mounting on both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government to provide further details on the programme and engage communities and stakeholders before its implementation.