We won’t donate land for ranching – Southeast tells Buhari

South-East Governors, Sunday, said the zone would not donate any land for ranching being proposed by the Federal Government.

DAILY POST reports that the stand was taken at an expanded meeting of the Forum at the Enugu Government House.

At the meeting were chairman of the Forum, Engr. David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra State, represented by his deputy, Dr. Ikem Okeke and Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, who was also represented by his deputy, Hon. Ude Oko Chukwu, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, representative of the NNPC, members of the Southeast Traditional Rulers’ Council, among others.

Umahi, who read the communique said, “we want to dismiss rumour being peddled around over the issue of ranching. We want to make it clear that the South-East has no land for ranching and nobody has requested us to donate any land for ranching.

“The Federal Government knows that the South-East doesn’t have enough land for ranching. So, we say categorically that we are not donating any land for ranching.”

The Forum also received a template on restructuring of Nigeria from the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, declaring that there was no going back on their stand on restructuring.

Umahi said, “Ndigbo stand on restructuring of Nigeria was presented to the Forum by the Ohanaeze President, based on the resolutions arising from the Awka enlarged meeting.

“He laid down the template to the Governors. The Forum thanked Ohanaeze on a job well done and reiterated it’s earlier stand that restructuring is the only way forward for Nigeria.

“The Forum also decided that the Governors should take a studied look at the template of restructuring and will make its final stand clear by the next meeting of the Forum.”

It equally said that the term of office of Chairman of Southeast Traditional Rulers’ Council “is two years rotational in alphabetical order.

“Forum, therefore, directed the present Chairman of Council, His Royal Majesty Eze Eberechi Dick, who has served for two years to hand over to Anambra State under the chairmanship of HRM, Igwe Nnaemeka Anichebe, Agbogidi, with effect from 1st August 2018 and thereafter to Ebonyi State and then Enugu State.”

It also waded into the controversy over the disputed renaming of Abakiliki Street in Anambra State, observing that “there was no real disagreement between the sister states, but a communication gap, which is already being closed.”

From the Forum also came a cheering news that fuel would be pumped into the Enugu Depot of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, in the next few days.