The President, Search for Common Ground, Shamil  Idris, has commended the Plateau State Government for employing radical approach towards creating awareness on the government’s policy to modern way of livestock farming.

Idris said before now, there has been a lot of misunderstanding over the issue, but the continued dialogue with stakeholders would reduce conflict in the society and the negative consequences that might have arise therefrom.

The President of the NGO, who disclosed this on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting organized by Search for Common Ground to create more awareness on the grazing policy, said dialogue on the grazing ranch and peaceful resolution between government and communities remain the best options.

Speaking during the occasion, Governor Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau State has said the mischievous allegations from his opponents that he has adopted the new ranching policy is untrue.

Lalong reaffirmed that government was still consulting with stakeholders in the state, saying that the controversy that greeted the grazing reserves and ranching policy was borne out of misconception.

He said: “We are not seizing people’s farmland but voluntarily going be donated with adequate compensation from government.
“No one will tamper with ancestral farmland, but government plans to safeguard it, not to be occupied by foreigners.”

The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, raised the alarm over the continual influx of different breeds of cattle into Nigeria.

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NGO commends Lalong for extensive dialogue on ranching/grazing policy