Ebonyi State Government has denied receiving N6 billion from the Federal Government as grant for ranching.
Special Assistant to Governor David Umahi on Media, Francis Nwaze, stated this in a statement on Thursday.
He was reacting to a statement on Wednesday night by Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu that Ebonyi, Yobe, Katsina and the FCT received N24billion for establishment of cattle ranches.
Shehu made the statement during the Channels TV prime time political show – POLITICS TODAY.
But Nwaze, said the State Government has always maintained that it has no lands for ranching.
He said: “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.
“We have received the news making the rounds that Ebonyi State is among the States in the Federation that has received the sum of N6billion 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 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. “
Unini Chioma
