The Ebonyi State Government is of the opinion that it does not possess enough land to implement the Federal Government’s initiative for cattle ranches in the state and have therefore, rejected the government’s plans.
The Ebonyi Government said the plan by the federal government to implement ranches in the state was impractical as the state lacked the amount of land necessary for farmers, talk less of cattle. They also expressed disappointment at reports of being included in the states the government plans to implement ranches in.
Speaking on the situation, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Ikechukwu Nwobo, said: “The state executive council frowned at the news making rounding that the state has directed or provided for a cattle ranch in Ebonyi State. The highest organ of Ebonyi State is the state executive council and the state security council and any decision taken by this council is the last bus stop for the people and government of Ebonyi State.
“Whether the federal government consulted us, we are not aware of that. The State Executive Council has decided and made sure that there is no land for ranching in Ebonyi state.
“We never provided land for ranching in Ebonyi State and it is still our position and that those lands they said is for ranching is for those Northern states that have always been doing ranching which have been gazetted before now.
“We have no idea that we were included in the ranching, we were not gazetted. There is no land for any ranching in Ebonyi State and we are not aware that we are among those mentioned as ranching states.
“The Ebonyi State through the executive council wishes to state that the government has not provided or released any land for ranching, it has no plan to do that. The ranching programme being done by the federal government does not include Ebonyi State and it has been redirected to those states in the North where the farmlands have been gazetted and have ranching ground which they will now revitalize”, he said.