Ebonyi Gov, Umahi denies receiving funds for ranching

27 Aug Ebonyi Gov, Umahi denies receiving funds for ranching

Ebonyi State government yesterday denied receiving any money from the Federal Government for the purpose of establishing cattle ranches in different parts of the state

Speaking in an interview on a Channels Television programme, ‘’Politics Today,’’ Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, had said some of the states given the funds for ranching, even before Katsina got its own.

Shehu said:  “Yes, Katsina has been given money, but Katsina has not been the only one given. So far, about 24 billion has been issued to four states on ranching and associated activities.

Also, the Presidency said on Wednesday night that theFederal Government has disbursed N24 billion to four states, including the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Katsina, Yobe and Ebonyi.

But Francis Nwaze, Special Assistant to the Governor, Media and Publicity, explained in a statement yesterday that: “Ebonyi  State government never at any time received any money for ranching in the state and will not receive any money for the same purpose as there is no available land for ranching in the state.

“We have received the news making the rounds that Ebonyi State is among the states in the federation that have received the sum of N6 billion each for ranching as attributed to the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu while responding to questions on Channels Television on Wednesday night.

‘’We wish to clarify as follows: That should any Ebonyian opt to engage in personal ranching, Ebonyians should see such venture as a personal decision of such person who must use his/her land for the purpose.

“This is because Ebonyi State government has continued to maintain that there is no land for ranching in the state and it is not about to renege on the decision.”

93 Tegina Islamiyya School Pupils Arrive Minna

Pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School Tegina in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger state, who were freed yesterday after 86 days in captivity, arrived in Minna, Niger state capital on Friday morning.

All the children have now been taken to a hospital in Minna for medical attention.

“Many of them are sick, we have taken them to the hospital but not the Minna General hospital”, the source said.

The pupils, abducted in Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State,

were released on Thursday night in Birnin Gwari LGA of Kaduna State.

Birnin Gwari shares boundary with Rafi local government area of Niger State where the children were abducted on May 30.

The Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Birnin Gwari, Danladi Idon-Duniya, was reportedly among the people who received the pupils.