- Olorogun Moses Taiga gives reasons why the Urhobo nation will not cede any of its land for the establishment of cattle colony
- Taiga, the president-general of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), urges Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state to intervene urgently
- He suggests possible solutions to the movement of cattle in the country
The president-general of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Olorogun Moses Taiga, has reportedly asked the federal government to forget the establishment of cattle colonies as the Niger Deltan nation has no inch of land to be ceded for the purpose.
Vanguard reports that Taiga lamented invasion of parts of Urhoboland, just as he called on President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to wade into the crisis to prevent any escalation.
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The report said Taiga spoke with journalists in Lagos on Monday, January 29, adding that he faulted the government on the proposed cattle colony.
“Cattle rearing is a private matter and individuals should make their private arrangements, just as crop farmers do in that regard,” he reportedly said.
Concerning the importance of the colonies, Taiga said: “I want to use this opportunity to inform the federal government that the Urhobo nation is against the proposed cattle colony and the Urhobo will not cede an inch of their land for the purpose of establishing a cattle colony.
“Has government established cassava, yam, cocoa or plantain colonies? These squatters and trespassers have to stop.”
“Also, no colonies have been established for poultry farmers throughout the length and breadth of Nigeria.
“Why the special arrangement for cattle farmers? They should sort out themselves peacefully and stop behaving like an army of occupation.
“The herdsmen issue is a fundamental problem calling for special attention. We therefore need a major policy of afforestation. Let us plant trees and grow the forests. Also, we need to increase our irrigation projects.
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“There was a time that the Lake Chad Basin was as large as the arable land in the entire south-east of Nigeria. Today, the lake is not larger than Yaba in Lagos.
“In the long term, government is to explore the movement of cattle by rail and lorries. Automation is preferred and used years ago, instead of movement by land through arable land.”
NAIJ.com earlier reported how Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state denied the alleged claim by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that his government had approved land for the establishment of a cattle colony saying the report is outright falsehood.
The governor, through his spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, said in a statement on Monday, January 29, in Benin City, that the claim is a barefaced and brazen lie concocted and fabricated by the PDP.
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Source: Naija.ng