The Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, on Monday opposed President Muhammadu Buhari’s quest to bring back cattle grazing routes in the country.
The President had last Thursday approved the return of the cattle grazing route used during the First Republic.
The grazing system adopted during the period allowed herdsmen to use designated grazing routes to move their cattle to several parts of the country.
Umahi on a television programme however stressed that the state has no land to give out for cattle ranching.
He said each state in the South-East already has laws banning open grazing, noting that the decision to ban open grazing was not about the leader but about the people of Ebonyi.
He said: “This is not about the governors, it is about the people. So, whatever position the people take in this regard, that is what will happen. There is no land in this regard that is not owned by individuals and corporate bodies.
“So, this is beyond governors and that is the truth. People calling governors are making a very grievous mistake. Even if I say as a governor in South-East, I want people from this village, I want you to donate this land, the question is: will they allow it?
“I have heard about three communal crisis in my state, and it is all about land. .There is a place that I am building a medical university and the people of that village, for a project that is almost completed, went and brought it down. They prefer to have their farms than a medical college. So, land is a different ball game altogether.”
