Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has denied donating land and receiving the sum of N6billion from the federal government to establish ranching in the state.
While featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today Wednesday evening, presidential spokesman Garba Shehu claimed the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has paid four states N24billion to establish ranching in their domains.
While noting that eight more states are currently in the queue to receive the same amount for the project in their respective domains, Mr Shehu mentioned Ebonyi as among the state governments that have donated lands and received N6billion respectively to execute the project.
But in a statement by his spokesman, Francis Nwaze, on Thursday, the governor who said there is no land for such initiative in his domain denied receiving the said amount of money.
The statement is reproduced below.
EBONYI STATE MAINTAINS ITS STANCE THAT THERE IS NO LAND FOR RANCHING IN THE STATE
We have received the news making the rounds that Ebonyi State is among the States in the Federation that has received the sum of 6 billion naira each for ranching as attributed to the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu while responding to questions on Channels Television on Wednesday night and we wish to clarify as follows:
That Ebonyi State Government never at any time received any money for ranching in the State and will not receive any money for the same purpose as there is no available land for ranching in the state.
That should any Ebonyian opt to engage in personal ranching, Ebonyians should see such venture as a personal decision of such person who must use his/her land for the purpose.
This is because Ebonyi State Government has continued to maintain that there is no land for ranching in the state and it is not about reneging from the decision.
Francis Nwaze
Special Assistant to the Governor
(Media and Publicity)
Thursday, August 26, 2021.
