Benue has no land for grazing - Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that creating grazing routes for cattle would not stop the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the country.

Ortom also assured Benue people that they would not be shortchanged under his administration.

The governor stated his position when the House of Representatives’ Committee on Complaints and Public Safety visited him in Makurdi on Saturday.

Ortom contended that ranching was the only way out of the frequent and deadly clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
“In the 50s when grazing routes were designated for cows, the population of Nigeria was less than 40 million.

“Today, we have over 200 million, and the same land mass that we had in the 50s is the same that we have today. The submission is that we must ranch our cattle like it is done in other climes,” he argued.

He also contended that ranching has been adopted successfully across the world and Nigeria should not be left out.

“In 21st Century America, in Britain and other developed countries, no cattle is seen on the roads.

“I have a ranch; we can help the rearers but not through grazing routes or reserves.

“The lasting solution and the way forward is not grazing routes nor reserves; these will not solve the problem. We don’t have 20 hectares of land to donate as grazing reserve and routes.

“There is no land for grazing reserves in Benue. We want to diversify our economy; our people are heeding to the advice to go back to farm,” he said.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Aminu Jaji said they were in Benue to sympathise with the government and its people on the recent invasion of Agatu land and other parts of the state by armed Fulani herdsmen.