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Be More Concerned About Human Lives Than Welfare Of Cows – Ortom Fires Buhari
The Benue State Government has criticised the Muhammadu Buhari Federal government over its recent stance on cattle routes stating that “they should be more concerned about Human lives than the welfare of cows”.
Below is a statement made available to PoliticsNGR, signed by the Press Secretary to the Benue State Government, Terver Akase;
We read in some national dailies, the statements credited to Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau in which he said it is impossible to stop the unregulated movement of cattle across Nigerian borders and within the country because, according to him, “Nigeria is a signatory to ECOWAS Protocol on free movement.”
We find the said statement strange coming from a senior member of the current administration. Curiously, the Interior Minister’s comments corroborate those of President Muhammadu Buhari a few days ago, when he appeared on a live television programme, The Candidates’.
The President who specifically berated Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom for making a law to ban open grazing, also made the following comments during the programme:
“I expect a state government to insist on the routes to be re-established in the grazing areas. But to say that cattle cannot move is very difficult.”
While we do not intend to join issues with the Federal Government on the feasibility of re-establishing cattle routes or its planned ‘implementation of the ECOWAS Protocol’, we will not fail to state that in Benue State, the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 has provided the needed solution to herders/farmers crisis.
It is important to emphasize that the Benue State law does not stop the movement of cattle or other livestock. The law only prohibits open grazing of livestock. This provision holds that livestock can be moved from place to place within Benue State but only by vehicles.
Section 19(1) of the law states:
“No individual or group shall, after the commencement of this law, engage in open nomadic livestock herding or grazing in the State outside the permitted ranches.
Subsections (4 and 5) add that “Movement of Livestock on foot from one destination to another in the State is hereby prohibited. Such movement shall only be by rail wagon, truck or pick-up wagon.
“Any person(s) found moving livestock on foot within or across urban centres, rural settlements or any part of the State commits an offence…”
The above provisions of the Ranching Law of Benue State are clear on movement of livestock within Benue and need not be misrepresented as it is currently being done by officials and agents of the Federal Government.
The Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of Benue State also makes precise provisions on ranching in place of open grazing. The procedure for establishing a ranch is equally stated in the law.
We wonder why the President and his lieutenants are hell-bent on ensuring that cattle routes are established across the country in the 21st Century when developed nations have long embraced ranching.
Even if gazetted routes were still in existence, the global best practice of ranching would have necessitated de-gazetting of such routes in Benue as the current population of the state has made the ancient practice of animal husbandry untenable.
Governor Samuel Ortom had earlier recommended a review of the ECOWAS Protocol to make it more effective, and now that the Federal Government is considering implementation of the protocol, we think it is the best time for the review.
The current protocol has provisions on procedures for trans human movement within ECOWAS member countries and the provisions should strictly be followed.
It must be pointed out that the ECOWAS Protocol permits free movement of human beings but not free movement of cattle and other livestock. It certainly does not include the indiscriminate movement of livestock across national boundaries nor does it include the indiscriminate movement of armed gangs masquerading as herdsmen.
Provisions for quarantine services for livestock and prohibition of movement with arms as well as regulations that apply to human beings must therefore be enforced for improved security in the country.
Ghana is a member of ECOWAS but cows are not only banned from grazing openly in that country. Authorities there order that such cattle be killed. Here in Benue State, our law only provides that livestock which infringe on provisions of the legislation should only be impounded and fines paid, failure of which they are auctioned.
It is also pertinent to stress that the Open Grazing Prohibition Establishment Law 2017″ was enacted by the elected representatives of the people, the Benue State House of Assembly in exercise of its powers as provided for by section 4 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). Part 2 of the Second Schedule to the Constitution reinforces the House of Assembly’s power by providing that “a House of Assembly may make Laws for that State with respect to industrial, commercial or agricultural development of the State.”
With regards to ownership of Benue Lands and the natural resources therein, the Preamble to the Land Use Act which is also a Constitutional provision “… Vests all Land compromised in the territory of each State (except land vested in the Federal government or its agencies) solely in the Governor of the State, who would hold such Land in trust for the people and would be responsible for allocation of land in all urban areas to individuals resident in the State and to organisations for residential, agriculture, commercial and other purposes while similar powers will with respect to non urban areas are conferred on Local Governments.
The Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law is therefore Legal and valid.
The All Progressives Congress, APC-controlled federal government ought to show greater concern about the frequent attacks and killing of hundreds of Benue people by Jihadists who openly declared their conquest and occupation agenda on the state. The Buhari administration should be bothered that it failed to give the people justice when they demanded it.
The Federal Government should be concerned that more than one year after Miyetti Allah groups threatened to attack Benue and carried out their threats, no one has been arrested for interrogation.
We wish to restate that the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law has come to stay and no amount of blackmail or intimidation can make the State Government to repeal or suspend the law.”
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From Construction Sites to Community Service: Temitope Akinyemi Emerges as a Model of Leadership and Impact
Energy experts in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector have defended the pricing structure of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accusing some fuel markers of attempting to blackmail the refinery and mislead the public over the recent increase in petrol prices.
The experts said reports suggesting that the refinery’s latest adjustment is solely responsible for the recent hike in fuel prices were misleading, noting that importers are also bringing in petrol at almost a N1,000 per litre, while the refinery’s coastal price is N948 and the gantry or ex-depot price stands at N995 per litre.
They stressed that public comparisons fail to consider the differences in pricing structures and supply channels.
According to the experts, N948 per litre represents the coastal delivery price, which refers to petroleum products transported by marine vessels or barges from the refinery to depots along the coastline. On the other hand, N995 per litre represents the gantry or ex-depot price, which is the rate paid by marketers who load petrol directly from the refinery into tanker trucks at the loading gantry for onward distribution across the country.
The experts explained that the two figures should not be interpreted as conflicting prices but rather as different logistics arrangements within the petroleum distribution chain.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, energy expert David Okon said the pricing adjustments were inevitable given prevailing market conditions.
According to him, Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals operates in a deregulated market and procures crude at international prices, which have risen sharply due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“The refinery is already absorbing part of the cost to cushion the impact of the crisis on Nigerians. We can see what is happening in other parts of the world where shortages and scarcity are being reported despite higher prices, yet the Dangote Refinery has continued to guarantee domestic supply,” he said.
Okon explained that when the refinery previously sold petrol at N774 per litre, crude oil was landing at about $68 per barrel. However, with crude now arriving at roughly $95 per barrel, the cost difference of about $27 per barrel translates to nearly N40,000 per barrel when converted to Naira.
“You cannot expect a refinery to continue selling at the old rate under those circumstances,” he added.
“If imported products were truly cheaper, importers would still be selling at the previous prices.”
He warned that without local refining capacity, Nigeria could have faced severe fuel shortages, long queues at filling stations and a resurgence of black market sales.
“Without the Dangote Refinery, many filling stations would likely shut down, queues would return across the country and black market traders would exploit the situation, hawking four litres keg at N20,000 or more. The refinery has effectively prevented that scenario,” he said.
Another analyst, Mohammed Ibrahim, also faulted narratives circulating in some quarters suggesting that the refinery’s pricing adjustment was responsible for worsening economic hardship in the country.
Accusing some importers of attempting to manipulate public perception, he said, “What we are seeing is nothing but deliberate blackmail by some fuel importers who feel threatened by local refining.
“They are twisting the pricing structure to mislead Nigerians and create unnecessary panic in the market.
“By exaggerating the refinery’s gantry price and ignoring the comparable costs of imported fuel, they are trying to make it appear as though Dangote Refinery is the cause of rising prices and economic hardship. This is a calculated attempt to protect their import businesses and undermine local refining, which is meant to reduce our dependence on imported petrol.”
Ibrahim added that such narratives were aimed at portraying the refinery as the reason Nigerians were struggling with higher petrol prices.
He stressed that petrol pricing in Nigeria is largely influenced by global crude oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and distribution logistics, noting that these factors affect both locally refined and imported fuel in the country’s deregulated market.
Afolabi Olowookere, Managing Director and Chief Economist at Analysts’ Data Services and Resources (ADSR) Limited, explained that although Nigerians expect refined products from the refinery to be significantly cheaper, prevailing market realities such as global crude oil prices, the cost of crude supply and refining margins make substantial price reductions unlikely in the short term.
“Therefore, improving domestic crude allocation to the refinery would strengthen supply stability and enhance the long term benefits of local refining for the economy,” Olowookere noted.
Recent conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions along key shipping lanes have tightened global oil supply, pushing crude prices past $90 per barrel, a development that directly raises the cost of both imported and locally refined petrol in Nigeria.
The unrest has pushed up fuel costs and transportation in several countries, including Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, and Japan, as rising crude prices increase the cost of refining, distribution, and logistics globally.
CHETACHI NWOGA-ECTON EMPOWERS 300 WIDOWS IN IMO
A renowned humanitarian and proud daughter of Mbaise in Imo State, High Chief (Dr.) Princess Chetachi Nwoga-Ecton, has empowered over 300 widows and vulnerable women across the Owerri Zone, in a remarkable demonstration of compassion and service to humanity.
The empowerment programme, which took place at the Palace of the Eze of Ngor Okpala, HRH Eze Engr. Fredrick Nwachukwu, brought together community leaders, traditional rulers, women groups and beneficiaries from different communities within the zone.
During the event, the widows received food materials and cash support, aimed at helping them meet basic needs and strengthen their small-scale businesses.
The initiative was widely applauded as a timely intervention to support women who often face severe economic hardship after losing their spouses.
Many of the beneficiaries expressed heartfelt appreciation to High Chief (Dr.) Nwoga-Ecton, describing the empowerment as a lifeline that would help them take better care of their families.
Some widows, while offering prayers for the philanthropist, noted that the gesture had restored hope and dignity in their lives.
Fondly known as Ada Imo and Adaure, High Chief (Dr.) Princess Chetachi Nwoga-Ecton has earned widespread admiration for her consistent humanitarian efforts both within Nigeria and internationally.
Through her philanthropic activities and foundations, she has continued to support widows, children, and vulnerable communities with interventions in healthcare, welfare and economic empowerment.
Community stakeholders who attended the programme commended the Mbaise-born philanthropist for her generosity and dedication to uplifting the less privileged, noting that her actions reflect true leadership and compassion.
Observers say the initiative further reinforces her growing reputation as one of the most impactful humanitarians of this generation, whose commitment to humanity continues to inspire hope across Imo State and beyond.
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