CATTLE COLONY: Okorocha, Wike United Against FG

By Dansu Peter

The Imo State Governor, Rochas Owelle Okorocha and his Rivers State Counterpart, Nyesome Wike have both spoken in one voice against the proposed cattle colony introduced by the Federal Government.

Governor Okorocha vehemently rejected cattle colony saying he will not give any land in Imo State to the Federal Government for the purpose.

The governor who spoke on Tuesday in Owerri, the state capital, through the state Commissioner for Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, said there was no law, policy, decision, plan, request or intention to cede, allocate or designate any part of Imo State as a cattle colony.

Okorocha, however, dismissed the speculation making the rounds that he had adopted the proposed colonies and ceded a part of the state to herders as wicked, unfounded and untrue.

The governor said, “This information that Imo has ceded a part for the proposed cattle colony is wicked, unfounded and untrue, although it represents the typical product of warped thinking of desperate mischief makers via the social media.

“Imo people and members of the public are therefore advised to disregard these baseless and laughable rumours.

“It is unfortunate that manufacturing wicked and capricious lies on an hourly basis has become the hallmark or DNA of desperate opposition politicians in our dear state.”

Also, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has said the state does not have land for a cattle colony.

 Wike, who also declared that his administration would not allow Rivers to be controlled by external forces, insisted that his government would not be drawn into any debate on cattle colonies.

 The governor, who spoke on Tuesday when he granted audience to D-Source Connect Group at the Government House in Port Harcourt, said, “We will not allow our state to be controlled by external forces; we will not be drawn into debates on cattle colonic. We don’t have land for any cattle colony in Rivers State.”