CAN kicks against earmarking of 15,000 hectares of land for grazing in Adamawa

The Adamawa State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has kicked against plans by the State Government to earmark 15,000 hectares of land for grazing in the State.
The land is to cater for the over 1.5 million livestock already registered by the State Government for the purpose of establishing grazing reserves in the State.
A communique issued by CAN in Yola after a meeting held at the St. Andrew Catholic Church, Mubi South on June 29, 2016 stated: “The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is seriously concerned about the unilateral decision of Government to earmark about 15,000 hectares of land in Adamawa state for the purpose of grazing. The Association considers this proposition as not only wrongheaded but unacceptable by CAN members whose lands constitute a larger chunk of this proposed landmass for so-called grazing reserve in Adamawa state.”
CAN told the State Government that it is better to have cattle ranches set up for the herdsmen rather than the grazing reserves.
It said this would be a better solution to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers.
The communique also said inasmuch as Government has made tremendous efforts in the rebuilding of some Police Stations and schools destroyed by Boko Haram, efforts should also be made to rebuild the 410 burnt churches and people’s properties destroyed by the insurgents in the area.
It called on the Government to deeply investigate the killings of hundreds of people in Koh community with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.
The communique, which was signed by the State’s Chairman of the Association, Bishop Mike Moses, also enjoined the Government to be more transparent and fair to all indigenes of the State.
It said: “CAN is decrying the lopsided allocation of scholarship scheme to the exclusion of most Christian communities in the state,pleading with the state Government on behalf of embattled and sacked lecturers of the state polytechnic to reinstate them back to their respective positions.”
CAN in Adamawa State said appreciates the efforts of the Federal Government in halting the evil and destructive activities of Boko Haram in the North East region, but expressed its discomfort over pockets of attacks that are still being perpetrated by the extremists in some local government areas of the State.
It said: “We call on the Federal Government to use every asset and machineries at its disposal to finally and permanently decapitate these rampaging never-repentant merchants of deaths and destruction.”