Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Igbo Elders Council has vowed to resist any attempt by the Federal Government to extend its cattle colony policy to South East states.
Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe suggested the implementation of cattle colony policy few weeks ago, as alternative to the open grazing which has been responsible for unending farmers/herdsmen clashes in Benue, Taraba, Kaduna and other states.
The policy was, however, met with wide criticism and outright rejection by some state governors and other stakeholders.
Eze Igbo in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Ibe Nwosu, told newsmen at the end of their emergency meeting in Abuja, yesterday, that the policy was not only conservative, retrogressive and obnoxious, but parasitic, anachronistic and anti-people and must be rejected by all.
The royal father, thus, cautioned South East state governors against giving/leasing any land in the region for such “politically” motivated policy.
“South East is, unarguably, one of the most densely populated regions in sub-sahara Africa. Its land resources has come under constant pressure recently, resulting in prevalence gully erosion in different locations.
“Any additional pressure and appropriation of land, through the creation of ‘political’ cattle colonies, would further aggravate the situation rather than ameliorate it. It will further reduce the, hitherto, insufficient arable farmlands for our people.
“We must also remind the Federal Government that Igbo people still practice shifting cultivation. ”
The Igbo leaders, thus, advised the government to go the way of ranching or better still adopt other technologically advanced system of cattle rearing that encourage improved milk and beef production.
Meanwhile, the former governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, in his remarks, informed newsmen that the meeting revisited the issue of restructuring.
He said the Igbo Elders Council discussed the issue of restructuring extensively and reaffirmed its support and call for the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance system.