By Dipo Olowookere
Abia State government has vehemently rejected plans by Federal Government to establish “cattle colonies” for Fulani Herdsmen and their cows in the state.
The state Governor, Mr Okezie Ikpeazu, in a statement today, said Abia State has no land to allocate for the FG’s programme.
“We reject any plan to establish cattle colonies for herdsmen in Abia State,” the Governor was quoted as saying in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Enyinnaya Appolos.
“We don’t have enough land for our agricultural activities and our people want more land,” Mr Ikpeazu emphasised.
Speaking further, the Governor explained that, “Giving away any part of Abia land as a colony to herdsmen, wherever they may be from, will be most unjust and unfair treatment to Abia State and her people who are largely farmers.”
He noted that, “Such alien land occupation will also cause unrest and crisis that may grow beyond what we can handle when it happens, so the best thing I think we should do is to reject such plans so that those behind it will know that Abia State is not party to it.”