By Chinonso Alozie
OWERRI—AGITATED by the silence maintained by the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha over cattle colonies, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs’ are planning a peaceful protest against giving herders a  portion of land in the state.

Cattle

Vanguard gathered Tuesday in Owerri, that the residents were no longer comfortable with Governor Rochas Okorocha’s unclear position on the controversial issue of the proposed cattle colonies.

They said that it was important to come out publicly to let Okorocha, and his proponents know that  residents in the state, were not in support of giving Fulani herdsmen land in Imo.

Some alleged that there was a plan to give land to herdsmen covertly by use of a front.

Others argued that any such surreptitious approach could make the residents and farmers vulnerable to attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

This was even as some described the planned protest as a waste of time, giving the reason that the Imo state government has not said anything about the proposed cattle colonies by the Federal Government.

According to the national president of Igbo National Council, INC, Mr. Chilos Godsent, “We have started consultations with various interest  groups, community leaders, women groups and farmers organizations toward having a wide protest against the proposed cattle colonies to be established in Imo state.

“In no distant time, there may be the possibility of storming the streets of Owerri, to protest against the proposed cattle colonies.”

Godsent alleged that, “We are also told that there is a secret move to assign a wide potion of land in certain areas in designated local government areas in the state, for cattle colonies.”

Also speaking to Vanguard, one Mr. Chidi Nnadi, said the protest was coming at the right time, “when the government was still contemplating on the decision to or not give lands to herdsmen.

“This kind of protest must be sustained if we want to archive the desired results.”