Lalong objects to FG's plan on solving herders, farmers crisis

Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, has announced that his administration will not sign up for the Federal Governments plan to establish cattle colonies in a bid to bring an end to farmers and herders clashes across the country.

In a statement signed by the governor's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dan Manjang, on Friday, January 26, 2018, he said his government has not signed up for the project and will not be entertaining the idea in the future.

According to the governor, media reports that his administration has carved out parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Local Government Areas for the creation of cattle colonies are "false, malicious and highly mischievous".

The statement read, "The attention of the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has been drawn to the news making the rounds, particularly in the Social Media that parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos LGAs have been carved out for the creation of colonies for cattle, in fulfilment of his promises to the Fulani who have pressured him, to either cede those areas or he faces the other side of their viciousness which may cost his aspirations.

"The Governor herein after states unequivocally that this thinking is not only the figment of the imagination of its authors, who want to make political capital out of it, but false, malicious and highly mischievous.

"Governor Simon Bako Lalong has and does not contemplate such action and he further call on all good citizens of Plateau to bury such imagination of these elements bent on throwing the State into confusion. Cattle colonies are not in the imagination of Governor Lalong.

"Consequently, the Governor urge all peace loving citizens of Plateau State to discountenance such mischievous information but to gravitate towards issues that unite us rather than those that divide us."

Two weeks ago, while visiting the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, the governor had disclosed his state would participate in the project if it brings an end to recurring clashes.

16 states already signed up for colonies

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 16 states have expressed interest in being part of the cattle colonies initiative.

The list of states includes: Adamawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Jigawa, Yobe, Niger, Kogi and Kwara.

Plateau State was the other state reported to be part of of the initiative until Lalong's public rejection of it.

The ministry has implored states to sign up for the initiative because it addresses the needs of cattle herders by providing resources to care for their cattle while avoiding unnecessary conflicts over economic resources between them and farmers.

States who sign up for the initiative are expected to volunteer 5,000 hectares of land each.