By Tracy Moses
The Benue Civil Society Groups (BENGONET) has opposed any attempt by the Federal Government to introduce ranching in Benue State without consultation, due process and compliance with existing laws.
The group said the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) must come before any new ranching programme, urging the government to prioritise security, reconstruction and the restoration of livelihoods in communities affected by years of violent attacks.
Chairman of BENGONET, Lazarus Mom, stated this on Tuesday at a press conference in Makurdi, where he insisted that “the people must come first” in any discussion concerning ranching in the state.
Mom, who was represented by the group’s Vice Chairman, Daniel Aondona Seer, said residents who had lost their homes, farms, land and loved ones to violence must not be treated as secondary considerations in the formulation of any ranching policy.
“It is deeply troubling that discussions about creating or facilitating ranches are gaining prominence while many of the original owners and occupants of communities and farmlands remain displaced and uncertain about when they will safely return home,” he said.
BENGONET clarified that its position should not be interpreted as opposition to lawful private enterprise, livestock production, modern agriculture or investments capable of improving food security and economic development.
Rather, Mom said the group would resist any attempt to impose ranching on the state without meaningful consultation, due process and strict adherence to existing laws.
“The people who have lost their homes, lands, farms and loved ones as a result of years of violent attacks must not be forgotten or treated as secondary considerations in any new policy or programme on ranching,” he said.
He argued that meaningful discussions on the allocation or use of land for new initiatives would be difficult while lawful occupants remained displaced and unable to access their ancestral homes and farmlands.
The group therefore called for the restoration of peace, reconstruction of destroyed communities and concrete measures to facilitate the safe return, resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced Benue residents.
BENGONET also demanded that any decision involving the acquisition, allocation or use of land for ranching be transparent, participatory and people-driven, while complying with the Constitution, the Land Use Act and other applicable laws.
Mom described land as a critical economic asset and source of livelihood for millions of Benue residents, arguing that decisions affecting its use could not be imposed on the people.
He called for the full involvement of the Benue State Government in any federal initiative involving land for ranching, stressing that state authorities must play a central role in determining what is lawful, appropriate and acceptable to residents.
“The Federal and State Governments must demonstrate an urgent and practical commitment to the safe return, resettlement and rehabilitation of all displaced persons in Benue State,” he said.
The position comes amid the continuing national debate over livestock production and the farmer-herder crisis. Ranching has featured prominently in policy discussions as an alternative to open grazing, which has been linked to recurring clashes between farmers and herders in several parts of the country.
In Benue, however, issues surrounding land ownership, insecurity, displacement and access to ancestral farmlands remain particularly sensitive.
BENGONET said any ranching initiative in the state must therefore take into account the rights and livelihoods of displaced communities and should not proceed without meaningful consultation and due process.