Benue would not surrender any portion of its territory to external interests for ranching or other purposes without the agreement of the people
By Moses Okorie
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has declared that no ranch will be established in the state without the approval of his administration and the consent of the people.
Alia made the declaration in Katsina-Ala during a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Federal Constituency as part of his ongoing statewide engagement with residents.
The governor said Benue would not surrender any portion of its territory to external interests for ranching or other purposes without the agreement of the people.
According to him, the state would resist any attempt to forcibly take over its land for pastoral activities.
“Nobody will force us to cede even an inch of our land to pastoralists for any purpose.
“If that must happen, I can assure you, it will not be this time that I am still the governor of Benue,” he said.
Alia’s position comes against the backdrop of the Federal Government’s proposed ranching policy, with Benue listed among the states being considered for the pilot phase of the initiative.
On security, the governor disclosed plans to establish three military operational units in the affected areas under the newly created 5 Division of the Nigerian Army.
He said the units would be located at Agu in Katsina-Ala, Anyiin in Logo and Azendeshi in Ukum Local Government Areas.
To further strengthen security operations, Alia announced the donation of 30 motorcycles to security agencies in the area to improve patrols and enable faster responses to distress calls.
The governor also unveiled plans for the construction of a new dam with an estimated 460-megawatt capacity, saying the project would provide water and support electricity generation in the state.
“The project will provide water and support electricity generation in the state,” he said.
The town hall meeting formed part of Alia’s ongoing statewide thank-you tour following his emergence as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The tour is also providing a platform for the governor to interact with stakeholders through town hall meetings across the state’s 11 federal constituencies.
Further engagements with stakeholders in the remaining constituencies are expected to take place in the coming days.