Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has assured residents of the state that the Federal Government will not force the state or its people to accept cattle ranching against their wishes.
The governor made the clarification while speaking about the Federal Government’s planned pilot ranching programme in Benue.
He said the people of Benue had already expressed their position on ranching, and his administration remained committed to protecting their interests, maintaining peace and ensuring that government programmes reflected the wishes of residents.
“The Federal Government is not forcing the state to have cow ranching. Nobody is forcing anything on anybody at any stage of this,” he said.
The clarification comes amid public interest in the Federal Government’s announcement of a pilot ranching programme and questions over what the initiative could mean for communities and livestock production in Benue.
Alia also sought to clarify the interpretation of the term “ranching”, saying it should not automatically be understood to mean cattle ranching.
He pointed out that Benue has other livestock, including goats and sheep, which could also be developed as economic opportunities.
Alia suggested that the proposed programme should be understood within a broader livestock-development context rather than being automatically equated with the establishment of cattle ranches.
He urged residents to seek clarification from relevant authorities before reacting to government announcements.
Alia warned that acting on assumptions or spreading information without understanding the context could create unnecessary tension, particularly on an issue that has generated strong public interest in the state.
“This is a people-oriented government, and everything we are doing must be people-directed,” he said.