By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – Ebonyi State government has denied receiving the sum of six billion naira from the Federal Government for ranching as alleged in some quarters.
Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Media and Publicity, Mr. Francis Nwaze, made this known on Thursday, August 26, 2021, while reacting to claims by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Garba Shehu, that Ebonyi State was among the states of the federation that had received the money.
The statement read in part: “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.”
Spokesperson to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, had on Wednesday, during the Channels TV Politics Today programme, disclosed that 3 States and the FCT received the sum of twenty-four billion naira for the purposes of establishing cattle ranches.
He specifically, without equivocation, mentioned Ebonyi State as the only southern state to have received a quarter of the money, being six billion.
Speaking on the issue, the opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Ebonyi State, said it was in shock that such a large sum of money was given to the State and no one knew about it.
“We are now wondering, was it meant for the development of a private ranch owned by those who received the money?
Publicity Secretary of PDP in the state, Barr. Silas Onu, said Ebonyi State holds a record as the worst in the adherence to fiscal responsibility and compliance with the basic rules of governance which requires transparency in the handling of public trust.
He said: “Just like this money received and kept a secret, Ebonyians do not know the content of many laws enacted by this government. The civil service have ran without permanent secretaries and education has taken a back seat, making us the State with the highest out of school children in the South East.”
According to him, the government has continually treated Ebonyi’s commonwealth as the Governor’s personal estate.
“Recent examples are the illegal and unimaginable purported gifting of the State Medical University to the Catholic Church and this revelation regarding N6Billion given to the State for ranching. If the Presidency had not revealed it, we may never have such an information.
“This is a call for investigative outreach by all Ebonyians to unearth more hidden illegal activities done by this government against Ebonyi State.
“We call on the government to immediately make full disclosure on this ranching fund given for public good.
“We need to ensure that cattle are no longer seen in the public and in the farms of our people – this will settle the clashes that have taken lives needlessly.
“We are eternally committed to do justice for the good people of Ebonyi State and will not allow this issue, together with many others, to be swept under the proverbial carpet,” he said.