The Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association (UZPA), a foremost non-political and non-partisan group of Professionals of Uzo-Uwani extraction, has asked the Enugu State Government of Governor Peter Mbah not to site the location of a ranch to settle nomadic cattle herders in Nimbo Community of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
The group in a statement signed by the President and General Secretary of UZPA Barr. Chinedum Odenyi and Chief Dan Asogwa, disclosed that government through the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka, released a statement stating that the ranch was part of the plan of government to implement the Prohibition of Open grazing law of Enugu State through the designation of specific areas of grazing, in order to discourage and enforce sanctions against open grazing.
However,the Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association (UZPA) in statement noted the government’s ill-intention and total lack of community engagement in the concept and design of the project is befuddling.
The UZPA statement reads in part:
“The first time anybody from Nimbo heard about the project was a phone call to the President General of the Community by the Chairman of the Local Government, informing him that the Government had decided to site a cattle ranch on the borders of Nimbo with Kogi State, on the banks of the Eshi River, and that State Government surveyors were arriving Nimbo the next day to be shown the area so that they map out 500 hectares as the site of the proposed ranch for immediate commencement.
“Uzo-Uwani happens to be one of the three Local Governments chosen for this initiative, the other two being Isi-Uzo and Oji River Local Governments. We have also heard from many other government officials clarifying and justifying the proposal and the suitability of the choice of location. We have also reached out to the Chairman of Uzo-Uwani LGA, Hon. Chukwudi Nnadozie, who gave us insights into the plans of the government on the programme.
“The people of Nimbo, and Uzo-Uwani in general have stoutly risen in unison in opposition to the proposal, reading a more sinister objective in the proposed project and calling on the government to stop any further exploration of the subject around the geographic entity of Uzo-Uwani LGA.
“UZPA, having considered all the reactions on the issue, finds everything wrong with the proposal and calls on the Enugu State Government to immediately halt any further design and attempt to implement the proposed ranch project in any part of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area. The project is not only insensitive, it is abrasive to the sensibilities of the people of Nimbo Community, and of Uzo-Uwani in general.”
The UZPA in the statement noted that the psyche of the people of Uzo-Uwani has been violated by the proposal of the Enugu State Government to establish a Fulani herdsmen settlers ranch in Nimbo community of Uzo-Uwani, hence the people reject the proposal and will not lend their support to any such design, as it debases them as.people and invokes the memory of inflicted sadism.
The statement reads:
“We do not also see any serious economic reason for the project. To tackle the insecurity which our people are facing and for which we have consistently pleaded for help, the Mbah administration should be in the forefront of implementing the State Police proposal which President Tinubu is mulling and make haste to secure our forests and homesteads from the evil machinations of marauders and blood merchants. “
