The Ebonyi State Government has denied donating land to the Federal Government to establish the proposed cattle colony in any part of the state.
It also described as absolute falsehood, a trending report on the social media that it gave herdsmen a nod to operate as they liked without regulations.
This was even as it ordered for the immediate arrest of a Facebook user in the state (name withheld) for allegedly peddling false information which it said was injurious to the government.
Addressing journalists in his office, the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Chief Donatus Njoku, clarified that the trending social report was a misrepresentation of the position of Governor David Umahi at a meeting it held with herdsmen, farmers and security agencies.
“That was a complete misrepresentation of the government. The Governor, as you know, has strong passion for agriculture and he has been sounding it clear in every fora that Ebonyi State does not have land to give out for any other thing apart from agriculture and agric is our mainstay.
“So, Governor never said that Ebonyi State will give out land for cattle colony. There was nothing like that. I was in that meeting. The position of the Ebonyi State Government was that those herdsmen that were with us here over the years; some of them were even born here. Since they are living harmoniously with our people, they cannot be asked to go,” he explained.