The Association of Igbo Town Unions (ASITU) has strongly opposed the Federal Government?s plan to establish cattle ranches in Imo State under the 2025 budget.

The group described the proposal, initiated through the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development, as unfair, illegal, and detrimental to the interests of the Igbo people.

In a statement signed by its National President, Chief Emeka Diwe, ASITU criticised the government?s decision to allocate land and national resources for private cattle farming, which it argued is primarily controlled by a specific ethnic group.

The group maintained that cattle rearing is a private business and should not be funded or managed by the government.

?Just as other businesses, including those owned by Igbo traders, must go through the normal processes of land acquisition, so too should the cattle business,? the statement read.

ASITU questioned why the government was investing taxpayers? funds in ranches for private cattle owners while Igbo traders and other entrepreneurs received no such support.

ASITU further argued that Igbo people conducting business in other parts of Nigeria do so without government intervention, citing examples such as the electronics trade in Alaba International Market, the textile industry in Balogun Market, and auto parts businesses in Ladipo Market.

They said: ?Cattle rearing, as a private enterprise, should not be the responsibility of the Nigerian government to fund or manage. It is well established that livestock farming is a private business, and the cattle rearing segment of it is primarily controlled by a specific ethnic group in the country. The government?s involvement in acquiring land and using national resources to establish ranches for private cattle farmers is both suspicious and provocative.

?Just as other businesses, including those owned by Igbo traders, must go through the normal processes of land acquisition, so too should the cattle business. The idea that the government should use taxpayers? funds to support the private interests of a specific group, without regard for the interests of the indigenous population, is deeply troubling.

?Imo State, along with other states in the South East, is already grappling with a severe scarcity of land for its people. Our communities face tremendous pressure to provide land for agricultural purposes, urban development, and infrastructure expansion.

?The further allocation of scarce land resources for private ranching, particularly for a cattle business that is predominantly controlled by another ethnic group, is an injustice that must not be tolerated.

?We are alarmed by the insensitivity of the Federal Government in imposing such policies on the people of the South East without considering the consequences for our communities? socio-economic well-being.?

While calling on the government to focus on inclusive economic policies that support all businesses and promote national unity, ASITU warned that no land should be taken for private business ventures without considering the interests of local communities. (Daily Sun)

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