A former Governor of Plateau state Senator Jonah Jang said the idea of creating cattle colonies by the Federal Government was outdated and should not be allowed to flourish.

 

Jang was reacting to reports emanating from the Federal Government that it was planning to allocate lands across the country for the creation of cattle colonies to stem the rising feud between Fulani herdsmen and local farmers.

 

According to him, cattle rearing was a private business and need not get the level of attention it was getting.

 

“I have said that we were colonized by the British, we cannot be colonized by the herdsmen again. What do you mean by colony? Look, cattle rearing is farming, animal husbandry.

 

“There are farmers in diverse areas, why do you want to start giving cattle rearing such level of priority? Will you give the same priority to those that are rearing dogs, pigs, snakes and so on? It is a private business.

 

“I had said when I was in government that to me, we have seen how cow owners in the United States and other developed countries operate. The people should buy land, settle down on ranches. They would have to buy, not government. But I am more concerned about our own Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria that we know, not the ones coming across the border.

 

“The ones coming across the border must remain in its country, each country should contain her herdsmen not using the ECOWAS free movement to start throwing their own problems to our country, it is unacceptable and we cannot accept it.

 

“Why should the federal government create ranches? It is none of their business to create ranches.

 

“If I am a farmer, I go and look for a farm and do my farming, does government give me money to look for farm and buy? He asked.

 

“I would rather borrow money even from bank and buy land and do my farming so they are doing their own agriculture with animals’ husbandry.

 

“So government has no business, after all everybody is supposed to pay tax in this country, whether you call it jangeli or whatever,” Jang said.