Okowa declares support for ranching, says new service chiefs need adequate support
- Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has added his voice to the calls for ranching to be adopted nationwide in animal husbandry
- The governor declared his support for the calls while also expressing optimism that the new service chiefs will deliver on their mandate
- The Delta state governor also called for job creation by governments at all levels to reduce the number of idle youths in the country
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Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa on Friday, February 12 urged Nigerians to support the call for ranching against open grazing with a view to checkmating the spate of insecurity and fostering livestock economy in the country.
Governor Okowa gave the advice while playing host to the national president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the president of Nigeria Baptist Convention, Reverend Samson Olosupo Adeniyi Ayokunle at Government House, Asaba, the Delta state capital.
He noted that the problem of insecurity in the country was negatively impacting the socio-economic lives of Nigerians, adding that concerted efforts should be made to checkmate the ugly trend.
Source: Twitter
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According to him, one of the ways of addressing the myriads of challenges arising from insecurity was to meaningfully engage the people in productive ventures through vocational and skills acquisition training programmes.
He expressed hope that the call on the federal government to encourage ranching would be considered, noting that it was a way out of reducing the farmers/herders crisis.
The governor reiterated that ranching was a way of actually improving the livestock economy in the nation, pointing out that it was in the best interest of all Nigerians because, according to him, it will improve the family income and reduce insecurity in the land.
He added:
“We will continue to do the best that we can and we are hopeful praying to God that the new set of service chiefs will be proactively committed to ensuring that there is a change of the tide.”
Earlier, Rev. Ayokunle told the governor that he was in Government House for a courtesy call and to commiserate with him on the passage of his father, Pa Arthur Okorie Okowa.
Recall that the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) on Thursday, February 11 said it had reached a consensus on the need for the country to transition into modern systems of animal husbandry that will replace open, night, and underage grazing in the country.
The NGF's resolution was contained in a communique signed by its chairman and Ekiti state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Similarly, Senator Francis Fadahunsi has declared that the unhindered cattle movement in Nigeria is responsible for the herders/farmers crisis in the country.
The senator who represents Osun West Senatorial District in the National Assembly also declared his support for those calling for legislation that would stop the movement of cattle across the country.
Jerrywright Ukwu is an Abuja-based senior political/defence correspondent at Legit.ng. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books. He can be reached via email at jerrywright39@yahoo.com.
Source: Legit.ng
