Ebonyi state government has maintained its stance on no available land for ranching in the State, even as it denied receiving money from federal government for ranching in the state.
In a statement issued in Abakaliki, the state capital, by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Francis Nwaze, he said the state government maintains its stance on no available land for ranching in Ebonyi state.
On Wednesday, during the Channels TV prime time political show – POLITICS TODAY, the Spokesperson to the Presidency – Mallam Garba Shehu, disclosed that 3 States and the FCT received the sum of N24Billion for the purposes of establishing cattle ranches.
He mentioned Ebonyi State as the only southern state to have received N6 Billion shared to the 4 states.
But Ebonyi state government through the SA to the Governor David Umahi on Media, debunked the claim that N6n was given to Ebonyi state for the purpose of ranching in the State.
He said that the State will not accept any money from federal government for the purpose of ranching and that any Ebonyian who wants to engage in personal ranching must do so with his own land.
He stated : “We have received the news making the rounds that Ebonyi State is among the States in the Federation that has received the sum of 6 billion naira each for ranching as attributed to the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu while responding to questions on Channels Television on Wednesday night and we wish to clarify as follows:
“That Ebonyi State Government never at any time received any money for ranching in the State and will not receive any money for the same purpose as there is no available land for ranching in the state.
“That should any Ebonyian opt to engage in personal ranching, Ebonyians should see such venture as a personal decision of such person who must use his/her land for the purpose.
“This is because Ebonyi State Government has continued to maintain that there is no land for ranching in the state and it is not about reneging from the decision”.