By Peter Duru, Makurdi
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State and the party’s 2027 State Assembly candidate for Mataa State Constituency, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed National Ranching Policy, describing it as an attempt to revive the controversial RUGA settlement initiative previously rejected by the people of the state.
Iortyom, in a statement at the weekend, said the disclosure by the Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Idi Maiha, that Benue was among five states and the Federal Capital Territory selected for the pilot implementation of the policy should “set alarm bells ringing” across the state.
The minister had said the programme would involve the establishment of grazing reserves equipped with housing, veterinary clinics, schools, primary healthcare centres, solar lighting and water infrastructure for herders and their livestock, with the settlements expected to develop into economic hubs.
Reacting, Iortyom questioned whether the proposed arrangement was fundamentally different from the RUGA settlements introduced under former President Muhammadu Buhari, which were strongly opposed in Benue.
