The Nigeria Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, has kicked against the Federal Government’s decision to include Benue State in the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy, warning that the initiative could threaten the ancestral lands and security of the people.

Minister of Livestock Development, Alhaji Maiha, had announced a few days ago that the Federal Government identified five states, including Benue for the pilot implementation of its National Ranching Policy.

Kicking against the inclusion of Benue in the plan, the NCDPA in a statement by its Chairman, Rev Fr Joseph Beba, described the state as an “already bleeding and targeted state,” expressing concern over what it called the apparent exclusion of the Benue State government from the decision making and approval process.

The priests said: “Had the elected leadership of Benue State been genuinely consulted, we believe it would never have consented to any arrangement capable of undermining the rights, dignity, security and ancestral heritage of our people.”

The NCDPA said it could not accept the introduction of a policy it believed was being imposed on communities that had suffered killings, displacement, destruction and prolonged insecurity.

They warned that ranching must not be allowed to become “a disguised instrument for land grabbing, forced occupation or the permanent displacement of indigenous communities.”

The priests also commended the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Wilfred Anagbe, for his consistent and courageous opposition to injustice, silence and any agenda capable of threatening the ancestral lands of Benue people.

They said: “There is no going back on this as long as we still draw breath.”

The priests, therefore, called on the Federal Government to respect the constitutional rights of Benue people and engage the state government, traditional rulers and community leaders transparently before implementing any ranching arrangement in the state.

They also demanded that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), should be enabled to return safely to their communities and reclaim their ancestral lands, insisting that Benue remained predominantly an agrarian state and that commercial ranching was not viable in the state.

They said: “Ranching in Benue State is, therefore, not viable and we reject this project idea with all legal and spiritual resources.

“Our land is not for sale and has never been on sale. Our ancestral homes are not bargaining chips. Our people must return home. Benue must not be enslaved through policy,” the statement read.

The NCDPA urged the Federal Government to reconsider the plan and pursue policies that would guarantee the safety, dignity, land rights and return of displaced Benue communities. (The Sun)