The Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong, has denied the news that he has approved of the creation of cattle colonies in his state.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Dan Manjang, the governor said there was no iota of truth in the news making the round.
As part of efforts to put an end to the clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country, which had led to gross loss of lives and property, the federal government said it would embark on the creation of cattle colonies.
The colonies, it was, however, pointed out would only be created in states where the government approved of them.
The news making the round is that the Plateau State government had marked Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos local government areas for cattle colonies.
But denying the claim in the statement by his media aide, the governor said the claim was the figment of the imagination of the authors.
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The statement reads: “The attention of the executive governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has been drawn to the news making the rounds, particularly in the Social Media that “parts of Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bokkos local government areas have been carved out for the creation of colonies for cattle, in fulfilment of his promises to the Fulani who have pressured him, to either cede those areas or he faces the other side of their viciousness which may cost his aspirations.”
“The governor herein after state unequivocally that this thinking is not only the figment of the imagination of its authors, who want to make political capital out of it, but false, malicious and highly mischievous.
“Governor Simon Bako Lalong has and does not contemplate such action and he further calls on all good citizens of Plateau to bury such imagination of these elements, who are bent on throwing the state into confusion. Cattle colonies are not in the imagination of Governor Lalong.
“Consequently, the governor urges all peace loving citizens of Plateau State to discountenance such mischievous information but to gravitate towards issues that unite us rather than those that divide us.”