A non-partisan group, Kogi Youths Round-table (KYRT) has warned Governor Yahaya Bello to weigh the consequences before adopting Federal Government’s Cattle Colony policy.
In a press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the forum, Comrade Ajogwu Jerry Ochada, the youths unanimously called on stakeholders, civil societies and relevant legal advisory bodies to enlighten Kogi state government on better steps to address the incessant issues of herdsmen attacks across the confluence state.
The statement read in part:
“Kogi state is located in a strategic location thus it is a home for all Nigerians alike. However, Kogi state is not a cattle republic and the infantile idea of the controversial state Governor to set up a cattle colony is unacceptable.
“In as much as we can permit the entrance and exit of Fulani herdsmen who are always on transit within the state, we are not in support of Yahaya Bello’s politically motivated colony orchestrated to win the favor of his parochial supporters and godfathers.
“As a group, we cannot entertain or tolerate the inimical switch of the herdsmen. We are still mourning the gruesome murder of our kinsmen, women and children who fell victims to the undeserving attacks of the herdsmen in Benue state. We cannot sit and welcome such development in Kogi state because an injury to one is an injury to all.
“We can only permit the creation of the proposed colony if our brothers and sisters living outside Kogi state are granted a new certificate of origin recognising them as indigene in their respective locations. Kogi state is not a landmark for experimenting a non existing scheme at the detriment of the poor masses who are wallowing in abject poverty as a result of the draconian leadership style of the incumbent governor.
“We are calling on Governor Bello to discard this illogical move because it is anti people. We are equally tasking Bello to wake from his slumber and steer a formidable course for the growth and development of Kogi state because we are lacking behind”. It concluded.
It will be recalled that Governor Bello had volunteered Kogi as pilot state for the prosed Cattle Colony concept of the Federal Government.
