The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has expressed deep concern over Governor Hyacinth Alia’s prolonged silence over the federal government’s proposed establishment of pilot ranches in the state, saying the governor’s inability to lucidly speak on the matter mean more than meet the eyes.

Besides, the party has asked the governor to “specifically disclose the proposed locations and sizes of the ranches; the method by which land would be obtained; the ownership and management structure; the beneficiaries of the programme; the role of the Federal and State Governments; the legal framework under which the project would operate; and the safeguards for host communities and farmers”.

The party was reacting to the governor’s assurances to residents ‘that any decision regarding the Federal Government’s proposed ranching programme in the state will be guided by the overall interest of the people’.

The governor who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula, in a statement, “called for patience and careful deliberation on the proposal, warning against rushing to politicize the matter through public gatherings, churches, the media or markets”.

But in a swift reply via it’s spokesman, Mr. Bright Antyo, the PDP expressed fears that “what is being presented as a ranching programme could ultimately become a land grabbing scheme by another name. Whether that fear is justified or not, the responsibility of the Governor is to address it openly and unequivocally, not to tell worried Benue people to keep quiet while government considers the proposal behind closed doors”.

“If there is nothing to hide, then there should be nothing difficult about telling Benue people exactly what is being proposed”.

The party questioned, “has the Alia administration accepted the Federal Government’s proposal to establish pilot ranches in Benue State? Has the government committed any land to the programme? If yes, where is the land located, how large is it, and under what legal arrangement is it to be acquired?

“Are the proposed ranches privately owned commercial enterprises or government-created livestock settlements? Does the proposal involve the reopening, rehabilitation or conversion of any old grazing reserves in Benue State?

“What becomes of the existing legal framework regulating open grazing and ranching in the state? Who are the so-called “relevant authorities” with whom Governor Alia is consulting, and why have farmers, traditional rulers, community leaders and the communities whose land may be affected not been publicly brought into the process”?

The PDP said silence is not consultation, secrecy is not strategy, and vague assurances are not a substitute for accountability.

It noted that for years, Benue communities have suffered killings, displacement and loss of ancestral land as a result of attacks on them by armed herdsmen, and thousands of the people remained displaced from their homes and farms, stressing that any proposal involving grazing reserves, livestock settlements or the allocation of land for ranching will naturally generate anxiety.

The party, therefore, challenged Governor Alia to come out personally and state the position of his administration on the issue in unmistakable terms as to whether his administration is accepting or rejecting the proposed ranching arrangement.

It reiterated its supports for modern livestock production based on privately owned ranches established through lawful acquisition of land between willing parties, as stipulated by the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.

“We therefore demand that the Alia administration immediately make public all correspondence, proposals, memoranda or understandings between it and the Federal Government concerning the proposed pilot ranches in Benue State”.

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