
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State
‘Ebonyi State has no land for ranching,’ declares Umahi

[From CHINEDU NWAFOR, Abakaliki]
Ebonyi Governor, David Umahi, Sunday said the state had not even applied to participate in poultry or any of the livestock programmes of the Federal Government let alone ranching, as being speculated in some quarters.


Umahi who spoke during an enlarged All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders meeting in Abakaliki, insisted that Ebonyi State had no land for ranching.
He said the Special Assistant on Media to President, Malam Garba Shehu was probably referring to was the N5.9 billion ‘draw-down’ from the federation account.
Mr. Garba Shehu had while responding to questions on Channels Television on Wednesday night last week said that Ebonyi State was among the States in the Federation that had received the sum of 6 billion naira each for ranching.
Following the controversies generated by Shehu’s interview on Channels Television, Governor Umahi publicly debunked the statement, saying that Ebonyi didn’t collect any fund for ranching from the Federal government.
In a remedial statement, Shehu came up again to say that Governor Umahi was right in saying Ebonyi State government didn’t collect any fund for ranching, as the fund collect by Ebonyi was not for ranching but for associated projects.
Making further clarifications during the APC enlarged Stakeholders meeting, Umahi said N5.9bn approved by President Muhammadu Buhari for the State was a natural resources fund for the development of limestone granules in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State.
“I am the chairman of the National Economic Council’s technical committee on farmers/ herders conflict and we recommended a livestock transformation plan to the council.
“This is natural resources fund approved by President Buhari and approved to the solid mineral development fund- for the development of limestone granules in Ebonyi state,” he said.
The Governor said he had initiated a N5million educational-endowment scheme for the children of late youth leader of the APC in the State, Mr Ogochukwu Elem, to cater for the educational needs of Elem’s children.
The car conveying Elem and two police personnel was involved in ghastly motor accident along the Enugba-Ikwo road on August 14 as the car plunged into an un-covered mining pit.
“We presented N2million for his burial, approved a new vehicle to replace the one which was involved in the accident and belonged to a reverend father, a vehicle for his wife for the family’s need and an automatic employment for her at the Ikwo council.”
Umahi commended party members for their peaceful conduct during its last ward congresses, noting that the party would still resort to harmonisation during next Saturday’s local government area congresses.
“We would however vote in areas where harmonisation did not work and I would personally supervise the voting in such areas and make my input.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Caretaker Chairman of the party, Mr Stanley Okoro-Emegha urged the members to continue supporting the party, noting that it was a large house that would accommodate everybody.