Okechukwu: Katsina ranch development crucial than electronic transmission of election results
- Electronic transmission of results is not as important as Katsina ranch development according to Osita Okechukwu
- The minister who pledged his community land said the ranch development will end herds-farmers crises
- He said Nigerians has lost more souls as a result of these clashes than the ones lost in general elections
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
In what will surprise many Nigerians, the N6.25 billion Katsina ranch has been described as a more important project than the electronic transmission of election results.
This is the position of the director-general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) Mr. Osita Okechukwu, The Nation reports.
Source: UGC
He said the ranch project is more important to the survival of Nigeria because it will end worsening herders/farmers clashes across the country, the Sun Nigeria reports.
Okechukwu consquently urged President Muhammadu Buhari to fast-forward ranch development nationwide, pledging his community land for the project.
He insisted that the “Katsina Ranch is a poster boy of the National Livestock Transformation Plan,” which should be embraced by all.
He said:
“For me, the flag-off of the N6.25 billion Katsina ranch is the end-game for the incessant and controversial herders/farmers clashes in Nigeria and hence the foremost news of the week.”
Defending his position, he arued that Nigeria has lost more souls to herdsmen/farmers clashes than anything else.
He added:
“I doubt if there is any farming community in Nigeria, especially in the Middle Belt that did not lose one person.
“What of food insecurity unleashed by herders/farmer’s clashes? And you talk of polarisation of the country; methinks the clashes polarised our dear countrymen more than elections? It regrettably promoted our fault lines.
Northern state to impose N2,000 annual development levy for residents, N500 per cow
In order to boost its internally generated revenue, an annual levy of N2,000 per annum is set to be introduced to residents of Katsina by the state government.
The state commissioner for budget and economic planning, Alhaji Faruk Jobe, made the disclosure on Wednesday, July 7, in Katsina.
It was gathered that cattle owners in the northern state will also start paying N500 called ‘jangali’ on each cow annually. However, the new measure is subject to confirmation by the state House of Assembly as it will undergo the legislative process.
Masari backs southern governors, says open grazing is un-Islamic
Earlier, the governor of Katsina state threw his weight behind southern governors who had agreed to ban the practice of open grazing despite the reservation by the presidency.
He described the practise which, according to him, encourages herders to move from one location to another as ‘’un-Islamic.’’
Masari, who spoke at the Government House Katsina as part of activities to mark the second year of his second term in office, argued that necessary infrastructure on livestock farming should be provided in the states for ranching as against open grazing.
We want grazing reserves, not ranching - Miyetti Allah to FG
The spokesman of Miyetti Allah, Saleh Alhassan, has condemned the federal government's plan to establish ranching for herdsmen.
Alhassan, in an interview said the only way forward is for the ministry of agriculture to open the grazing reserves and give them to cattle breeders.
The organisation's spokesman insisted that ranching is for commercial farmers, not for herdsmen, and as such, it cannot solve the age-long clashes between host communities and herders, especially in the north.
Source: Legit.ng
