The Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, has rejected the federal government’s decision to include Benue State in the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy, warning that such decision will not augur well.
Daily Intel Newspaper reported that the minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, had announced that the government identified five states, including Benue for the pilot implementation of the National Ranching Policy.
Daily Intel Newspaper also reported that the development was announced despite suspecion that the policy was a push for Fulani interest and in overall a northern agenda.
Reacting to the development, the NCDPA, in a statement signed by its Chairman, Rev. Fr. Joseph Beba, described Benue as an “already bleeding and targeted state” and expressed concern over the alleged exclusion of the state government from the decision-making process.
The priests said: “Had the elected leadership of Benue State been genuinely consulted, we believe it would never have consented to any arrangement capable of undermining the rights, dignity, security and ancestral heritage of our people.”
The association said it could not accept what it described as the imposition of a policy on communities that had suffered killings, displacement, destruction and prolonged insecurity.
It warned that ranching must not become “a disguised instrument for land grabbing, forced occupation or the permanent displacement of indigenous communities.”
The priests also commended the Catholic Bishop of the Makurdi Diocese, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, for what they described as his consistent opposition to injustice and to policies they believe could threaten the ancestral lands of the Benue people.
“There is no going back on this as long as we still draw breath,” the statement declared.
The NCDPA called on the Federal Government to respect the constitutional rights of Benue residents and engage the state government, traditional rulers and community leaders transparently before implementing any ranching arrangement in the state.
It also demanded the safe return of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their communities and the restoration of their access to their ancestral lands.
The association maintained that Benue remained predominantly an agrarian state and argued that commercial ranching was not viable there.
“Ranching in Benue State is therefore not viable, and we reject this project idea with all legal and spiritual resources,” it said.
The priests declared that “our land is not for sale and has never been on sale,” insisting that there was no land in Benue available for commercial ranching.
“Our ancestral homes are not bargaining chips. Our people must return home. Benue must not be enslaved through policy,” the statement added.
The NCDPA urged the Federal Government to reconsider the plan and adopt policies that would guarantee the safety, dignity and land rights of residents, while facilitating the return of displaced communities to their ancestral homes.
