Benue PDP Candidate Rejects FG-Funded Ranches for Herders

Bemgba Iortyom, the Peoples Democratic Party's 2027 State House of Assembly candidate in Benue State, has publicly rejected the Federal Government's proposal to fund ranches for herders. In a statement issued on Saturday in Makurdi, Iortyom urged the government to encourage livestock owners to legally acquire land for ranching instead of investing in individual businesses.

He questioned the focus on herders in the proposed solutions to farmer-herder conflicts and highlighted the lack of representation for affected farmers and traditional landowners in the discussions. Iortyom recalled that similar proposals under the late Muhammadu Buhari's administration were rejected by the people of Benue, who faced violence and displacement due to herder activities.

He emphasized that livestock farming is a private business and that ranching should not come at the expense of farmers who have suffered losses due to herdsmen.