Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia has rejected any plan to establish ranches in the state without his administration’s and residents’ consent. Speaking at a town hall meeting in Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo, Alia said Benue would not surrender any part of its land to pastoralists for ranching while he remains governor. His comments follow the Federal Government’s proposed ranching programme to address the farmer-herder crisis.
The pilot project is expected to begin in Plateau before expanding to Benue and other states. Alia also announced new security measures, including three military operational units in Katsina-Ala, Logo and Ukum, as well as 30 motorcycles for security agencies to improve patrols. He also disclosed plans for a dam capable of generating 460 megawatts of electricity and providing water for the state.
The governor’s rejection of the ranching plan is a significant political challenge to the Federal Government’s policy. The farmer-herder crisis has devastated Benue, and the state’s residents are deeply suspicious of any policy that they fear could lead to land dispossession. The governor’s stance reflects the deep-seated tensions between federal policies and state-level concerns.
This echoes the 2018 Benue anti-open grazing law, which also sparked a confrontation with the Federal Government. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a clash between federal and state policies over land use.
The winners: Governor Alia, who has asserted his authority; and the residents of Benue, who have a governor who listens to their concerns. The losers: the Federal Government, which faces resistance to its ranching policy; and the farmer-herder peace process, which is complicated by the dispute.
Bottom Line: Alia says no to ranching in Benue without consent. The federal policy faces a major obstacle. The question is whether a compromise can be reached or the conflict will escalate.