The Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association (UZPA) has rejected plans by the state government to establish cattle ranch as a settlement for nomadic herders in Nimbo community of Uzo-Uwani local government in the State.
They said the project is not only insensitive, but it is abrasive to the sensibilities of the people of Nimbo Community and of Uzo-Uwani in general.
According to a statement signed by the chairman of UZPA, Barr. Chinedum Odenyi and the Secretary, Chief Dan Asogwa, said that the communities in the LGA are reading a more sinister objective in the proposed project and are calling on the government to stop any further plans on the project.
“The Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association (UZPA), a foremost non-political and non-partisan group of Professionals of Uzo-Uwani extraction, has watched with increasing alarm, the attempt by the Enugu State Government of Governor Peter Mbah to site the location of a ranch to settle nomadic cattle herders in Nimbo Community of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
“The Association deliberately delayed in releasing any statement in order to have the benefit of a contextual analysis of the perspectives and nuances of all points of view on the issue.
“The government through the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka, released a statement clarifying the intention of government, stating that it was part of the plan of government to implement the Prohibition of Open grazing law of Enugu State through the designation of specific areas of grazing, in order to discourage and enforce sanctions against open grazing.
“The State Government also intends to use the ranch project to curb the rising insecurity, including kidnapping, murder, and rape being perpetrated by mostly herdsmen in the Local Government.
“Uzo-Uwani happens to be one of the three Local Governments chosen for this initiative, the other two being Isi-Uzo and Oji River Local Governments.
“We have also heard from many other government officials clarifying and justifying the proposal and the suitability of the choice of location.
“We have also reached out to the Chairman of Uzo-Uwani LGA, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, who gave us insights into the plans of the government on the programme.
“The people of Nimbo, and Uzo-Uwani in general have stoutly risen in unison in opposition to the proposal, reading a more sinister objective in the proposed project and calling on the government to stop any further exploration of the subject around the geographic entity of Uzo-Uwani LGA.
“UZPA, having considered all the reactions on the issue, finds everything wrong with the proposal and calls on the Enugu State Government to immediately halt any further design and attempt to implement the proposed ranch project in any part of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area,” the statement said.
UPZA further stated that the total lack of community engagement in the concept and design of the project is befuddling.
“The psyche of the people of Uzo-Uwani has been violated by the proposal of the Enugu State Government to establish a Fulani herdsmen settlers ranch in Nimbo community of Uzo-Uwani, giving the factors recounted and analysed above.
“In view of that, and all things considered, the Peter Mbah administration is informed that Uzo-Uwani people reject the proposal and will not lend their support to any such design, as it debases our people and invokes the memory of inflicted sadism.
“We do not also see any serious economic reason for the project. To tackle the insecurity which our people are facing and for which we have consistently pleaded for help, the Mbah administration should be at the forefront of implementing the State Police proposal which President Tinubu is mulling and make haste to secure our forests and homesteads from the evil machinations of marauders and blood merchants,” the Association added. (Tribune)
