Niger govt threatens to revoke Bobi Grazing Reserve contract

From Yakubu Mustapha, Minna.

The Niger State Government has charged investors at the Bobi Grazing Reserve that has not shown sufficient presence at the reserve, to begin work within the next two months or risk withdrawal and revocation of their allocation.
This was contained in a press statement issued by the SSG Information Officer, Lawal Tanko yesterday in Minna, saying that the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane gave the directive when he under took on the spot assessment of work currently going on at the Bobi Grazing Reserve.
The SSG who was accompanied round the Reserve by Officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) led by Dr. Amina Habeeb, Assistant Director, Development Finance Department, top Government functionaries and representatives from WAMCO (Peak Milk), Chi Limited (Chivita), NEON, Irish Diary and Hail Consortium further stated that any investor that could not meet up with the dateline will forfeit his allocation to other investors on the waiting list.
Matane explained that out of the six investors that shown interest in investing in Bobi Grazing Reserve only WAMCO and Chi Limited indicated active commitment at the Reserve, adding that NEON and Irish Diary have been allocated land but yet to commence work.
He said another reason that prompted the visit to the Reserve is for the investors to identify the lands allocated to them with a view to giving Government the opportunity to see what plans the investors have as well as reactivate and make the lands functional.
Addressing the herdsmen, the SSG said the present administration under the leadership of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello is leaving no stone unturned towards promoting pasture development for pastoralists at the Grazing Reserve.
He told the people at the area that the settlement of pastoralists at the grazing reserve would turn nomadic pastoralists into mixed Farmers who will take up crop farming to supplement livestock farming.
Ahmed Matane expressed optimism that Bobi Grazing Reserve would no doubt put an end to the lingering Farmers/Herdsmen crisis in the state.
Earlier in her remarks, the Assistant Director, Development Finance Department, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Amina Habeeb pointed out that the measures taken by the State Government to make Bobi Grazing Reserve a model would serve as an example to other state governments on how peace can be attained by providing Herders with land and teach them how best to use the land.
The Secretary to the State Government, Officials from Central Bank of Nigeria, representatives of WAMCO (Peak Milk), Chi Limited (Chivita), NEON, Irish Diary, Hail Consortium and top Government functionaries visited milk collection centre, dams, irrigations sites and lands allocated to the investors.