From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari to court should he insist on going ahead with any policy that will support open grazing or grazing reserve in the country.
Ortom who spoke with newsmen on Sunday after arriving Makurdi from Asaba insisted that under his watch, the state will never accept open grazing.
While maintaining that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria supercedes the Northern Nigeria Law that provided for Grazing Reserves, the Governor said the State government will not accept the Grazing Reserve Policy, insisting that he would rather stand with the National Livestock Transformation Programme.
Governor Ortom who wondered why the President has continued to insist on open grazing averred that the State will not concede any land for the Grazing Policy, noting that such lands do not even exist.
“The truth is that if the entire country had accepted ranching, then why is Mr. President insisting on open grazing when there is no land for such.
“In the 50s when this policy was initiated what was the population of Nigeria, it was less that 40 million but today we are more than 200 million. The 923 square kilometer is not even enough to cater for the population. The reason Mr. President is insisting to some of us, I think there is a hidden agenda.
“Mr. President has aides, the Attorney General of the Federation Mallami SAN and other lawyers around him should advise him. For God sake it is laughable and it appears we do not know what we are doing.
“Under my watch, the State will not accept open grazing . I have already briefed my lawyers should Mr. President insist on going ahead with the Policy”, Ortom stated.