Benue won’t implement livestock plan except… Deputy Gov

Benue State has threatened not to implement the National Livestock Transformation Plan adopted on Thursday by Northern Governors to address the age-long farmers/herders clashes except it conforms with its laws on anti-grazing.

Benue gave the conditions for the implementation of the Livestock Plan shortly after the by the Northern States Governors Forum adopted it at its emergency meeting in Kaduna on Thursday.

Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abuonu, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting where he represented Governor Samuel Ortom said, Benue will only implement the plan if its conforms with the state laws on ranching of animals and the anti open grazing laws.

According to him: “One thing is fundamental, as far as the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation plan is concerned, whichever state that has keyed into the programme will have it as it’s own programme, in other words it is going to be owned by the state even if some help regarding the funding is going to come from the federal government.

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“And of course it depends on whichever state is willing to key into it. But at this initial stage, there are seven states at the pilot stage but with regards to Benue, whatever is going to happen in this area of animal husbandry that thing has to be in conformity with the local laws of Benue that is in existence.

“Principally that law says there should be no open grazing and there should be ranching of animals that anybody is going to rear.

“Therefore as long as the programme is in conformity with our laws then it would be acceptable to us.”