The Plateau State Government said it had budgeted N250m for the establishment of ranches in the state for the 2019 fiscal year.

The state Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Sylvester Wallangko, said this while giving the breakdown of the 2019 budget to journalists in Jos on Wednesday.

The commissioner expressed the hope that the fund earmarked for the establishment of ranching in 2019 would assist in tackling the farmers-herders crisis in the state.

He said, “The agricultural sub-sector is receiving a boost in this year’s budget with the state government allocating N2.7bn to the sub-sector and N250m of this amount is earmarked for the establishment and management of ranches.

“The state government has set up a committee on the establishment of ranches and the committee is saddled with the responsibility of providing suitable locations across the state for the ranching projects to curb farmers-herders crisis in the state.”

Wallangko also dismissed claims by the opposition that the state government diverted N20bn fund meant for the rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons and repairs of their ancestral homes.

He explained that the Plateau State Government had made a request for funds from the Federal Government for the rehabilitation of IDPs, adding that the money had not been released.

The commissioner added that N300m was earmarked for the acquisition of relief materials and rehabilitation of IDPs.

He vowed that government would deal decisively with anyone who tried to frustrate efforts of the revenue generating authorities as it was looking inwards to raise its Internally Generated Revenue so that it could finance the budget for the benefit of the people.

 Wallangko, who put the size of the 2019 budget at N153.5bn, restated the state government’s readiness to be transparent and accountable to the people of Plateau State in its implementation.

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Plateau budgets N250m for ranching in 2019