The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum has cautioned the Federal Government against using public funds to set up ranches in 10 states as announced by the Federal Government.
The SMBLF stated its position in a statement in response to the plan by the Federal Government to spend N179 billion on building of 94 ranches in 10 states.
The National Economic Council, headed by Vice President Osinbajo, was said to have approved the sponding.
Bu the SMBLF described it as vexatious.
In a statement signed by Yinka Odumakin for the South-West region, Senator Bassey Henshaw for the South-South, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu for the South-East and Dr. Isuwa Dogo for the Middle Belt, the body commended the government for embracing ranching for herders, but said the 2014 National Conference had reasoned out the issue and recommended ranching as being done in all civilised countries.
It said: “The decision to ignore this sensible recommendation has led to a situation where untold terror has been unleashed on farming communities with needless loss of hundreds of lives in the last three years with not a soul under prosecution and top functionaries of the administration making excuses for the killers.
“We, however, object to the FG’s decision to spend N179 billion of public funds to build these ranches over 10 years starting with N70 billion under this administration.
“What would our society become if fishermen, farmers and people in other trades begin to cause bloodbath so the Federal Government could give them special consideration?
“We call on the Federal Government to shelve the idea of committing public funds to ranches and allow the owners of the business to attend to their business needs in the spirit of ‘I belong to everybody’ mantra of the President.
“To go ahead with the plan is to say that cattle owners own this government and that would make other segments of society to say ‘we have no inheritance in this arrangement.’”
The forum said it was unfortunate that the government was comparing the proposed ranches to the Friesland Campina of Netherlands without bothering to find out that the firm was put together by cooperatives dating back to 1879 and with annual revenue of £11 billion.