Governor Willie Obiano has explained that the state does not intend to embark on land-consuming projects as the creation of grazing reserves and ranches because it has the smallest land mass in the country.
He stated this at the Council Chambers of Government House, Awka, in a press conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the state, explaining that even the state’s small land mass had been eaten up by erosion.
The governor,however, disclosed that the state was in a discussion with an international partner to commence the animal husbandry indigenous to the area.
On herdsmen attack of communities in the southeast, he described himself as “the guy who saw tomorrow,” adding that, “Early in my administration, I constituted a committee known as cattle menace committee, which is headed by the commissioner of police, with five traditional rulers and leaders of the Fulani community in the state.
“We agreed in the committee that if the cattle belonging to the Fulani people destroy our crops, they will pay us; and if our people kill their cattle, we will pay them.”
Obiano stated that the Fulani herdsmen had defaulted 11 times, and paid compensation to the natives, while the communities had defaulted five times, and paid accordingly for five cows allegedly killed by them.
He said it was agreed that herdsmen would not be allowed to come into the state wielding AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons.
The governor asserted that the arrangement had guided the parties in their actions and conducts.
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