FCT Indigenes Reject Ranching Policy, Demand Exclusion From Pilot Scheme

Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the aegis of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO), have rejected the Federal Government’s decision to include the territory among locations for the pilot implementation of the National Ranching Policy.

They said the establishment of ranches in the FCT was inconsistent with the Abuja Master Plan and could threaten the ancestral lands, farms and livelihoods of indigenous communities.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Director of AOIYEO, Commandant Isaac David, stated that the inclusion of the FCT was unacceptable to the territory’s original inhabitants.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, had on Tuesday announced that six locations had been selected for the pilot ranching programme.

Maiha had, after briefing President Bola Tinubu on the activities of his ministry at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, said the pilot programme would commence at the Wase Grazing Reserve in Plateau State as a proof of concept for the new ranching model.

The minister listed Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Adamawa states, alongside the FCT, as the locations identified for the pilot programme.
But the group argued that the Abuja Master Plan made no provision for ranches.

“We reject this decision of the government, and we will continue to reject these ranches in FCT because FCT is not meant for it.

“The FCT land is meant purely for the Federal Capital City and administrative purposes. There is no ranch purpose on it. So, for this reason, we reject this. We are asking the minister to reason with us,” it said.
The AOIYEO said indigenous communities had made significant sacrifices for the development of Abuja by surrendering their ancestral lands, but had not received commensurate benefits from successive administrations.

It said the government had yet to adequately address the development, farming and integration needs of the original inhabitants, questioning the rationale for prioritising ranches for cattle breeders while indigenous farmers continued to face challenges.

The group warned that imposing ranches on indigenous communities without consultation could create tension and worsen existing land and security challenges in the territory.

“Failure to reason with indigenous people or offer a dialogue roundtable discussion will make it a national threat,” the group warned.
It appealed to Tinubu to reconsider the inclusion of the FCT in the pilot programme, alleging that the move could lead to the acquisition of large tracts of farmland and displacement of indigenous communities.

The group further alleged that some interests were seeking to destabilise the administration of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and undermine the peace being witnessed in the territory.

The group also expressed concern over insecurity in rural communities, arguing that the establishment of ranches could heighten tensions if large portions of indigenous farmlands were acquired.

“We condemn it, and it must not be allowed to stand. This is the nation’s Federal Capital Territory, not just another state,” it said.

The group, however, called on Wike to oppose the proposed ranching programme in the FCT and protect the interests of the territory’s original inhabitants.