The residency has said that the federal government has land in all the 36 states of the federation for the herdsmen settlement project popularly called ruga.
Spokesman for the president, Mr. Garba Shehu said in a statement last night that the programme would benefit “all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.”
He said the programme will curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders.
Besides, he said it would reduce drastically conflicts between herders and farmers as well as lead to a “boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.”
Shehu also debunked the notion that the federal government was confiscating lands for the programme stressing that there is no government plan to seize state land, colonise territory or impose ruga on any part of the federation.
More so, he said 12 states had already keyed to the pilot scheme adding that the programme is optional.
“The Presidency wishes to draw attention to recent unhelpful comments regarding the plan to stop roaming of cattle herders with the attendant clashes with farmers.
“Ruga Settlement” that seeks to settle migrant pastoral families simply means rural settlement in which animal farmers, not just cattle herders, will be settled in an organized place with provision of necessary and adequate basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, road networks, vet clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that will process and add value to meats and animal products.
“Beneficiaries will include all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.
“The federal government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders.
“The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers, a boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.
“Other gains are job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.”
“Stripped of the politics and howling that has attended the recent comments, there is no government plan to seize state land, colonize territory or impose Ruga on any part of the federation. Government has made it clear time and again that the programme is voluntary.
“So far, twelve states have applied to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, making lands available for the take-off of the scheme in their states. This number is sufficient for the pilot scheme.
“Unfortunately, some state governments that have not signified interest in the scheme and, therefore, are not on the invitation list have been misleading people that the Federal Government is embarking on a scheme to take away their lands.
“Mostly, these are state leaders that have no explanation to offer their people for continued non-payment of workers’ salaries. It is true that government at the centre has gazetted lands in all states of the federation but because the idea is not to force this programme on anyone, the government has limited the take-off to the dozen states with valid requests.
“We urge states to join the federal government at the centre in encouraging all sides to these conflicts to make efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution. As we seek a permanent solution to these unwanted conflicts, efforts must be made to ensure that no innocent person faces any kind of deprivation or loss of right and freedom under our laws,” said Shehu.
Meanwhile, the South East Governors’ Forum said the only deal it had with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) was that when the Federal government revamped grazing reserve in the north, all the herders in the south would take their cattle there and rely on the grasses grown in the south.
The chairman of the forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. David Umahi, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Emmanuel Uzor, said there was no plan for ruga in any part of the southeast and south-south.
He said the southeast is purely agrarian with limited land mass for farming and therefore cannot accommodate ruga.
Umahi said members of MACBAN and the South East would achieve symbiotic trade of cow and grass.
The statement reads: “Umahi was the chairman of National Economic Council sub-technical committee on farmers and herdsmen clash and he toured the states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Zamfara and two other states where he made in one of his recommendations to the federal government for revamping of grazing reserve in the south where all the cattle rearers in the south will take their cattle to and rely on the grasses that are grown in the south
“The way it works is that the herdsmen will bring down their cows to the southeast and sell us as meat while they will load the grasses which are grown here in the same trailer with which they transported their cows to feed their cattle in those grazing reserve which should be made comfortable for them.
“By this herdsmen are expected to embrace anti open grazing by returning to the ranches in the North and do their business on the trade by barter basis of selling cows to the South and buying grass to feed their cows in the North”, he said.
He further called for tolerance among youths of various ethnic nationalities to solve the problem of hate speech essentially among Igbo youths.
Umahi reminded MACBAN members of their recent accord entered with south east governors and asked them to use the existing grazing reserves in the north.
Similarly, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF) faulted the ruga scheme describing it as “repugnant, repulsive and provocative”.
The forum, in a statement jointly signed by Messrs Yinka Odumakin (southwest), Chigozie Ogbu (southeast), Bassey Henshaw (south-south) and Isuwa Dogo (middle belt) alleged that the herdsmen settlement initiative is a subtle attempt to “colonise the rest of Nigeria under the guise of promoting cattle rearing”.
It said cattle-rearing is a “private business” that should not have the involvement of government, arguing that a “government interested in the unity of the country should not dabble into such business which tends to promote one ethnic group over another.”
It also alleged that in the last four years, herdsmen had turned non-Fulani communities into killing fields “with the government turning a blind eye to all their crimes”.
The forum challenged the government to name any court where the herdsmen were being tried.
“We therefore reject any attempt to establish any Fulani colony within our space in Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. We warn all our Governors not to succumb to any pressure to cede an inch of our land for this awful project as any governor who does so would be seen as an enemy of the people he governs.
“Our people will defend their land against colonization under the conquest policy the Federal Government is mindlessly pushing,” said the forum.
For its part, the United Patriots faulted the ruga project wondering why the government would prioritise the welfare of cows as opposed to the pressing needs of Nigerians like regular power supply, better infrastructure, improved health care services and employment generation.
The national chairman of the party, Mr. Chukwudi Ezeobika, said in a statement months after the 2019 general elections, and without ministerial appointments, the sudden and vicious attention accorded to accommodation for nomadic herdsmen “calls for serious concerns to all well-meaning Nigerians.”
“The brazen and glaring impunity with which the current APC government under President Muhammadu Buhari has promoted inequality, discord and disunity amongst Nigerians, as could be seen in the preponderance of the Fulani people at the corridors of power, clearly shows the level of insensitivity and contempt of the current administration, as security bodies and other agencies of the government remain dominated by people of same faith and ethnicity.
“Having emerged from an election, adjudged by both foreign and domestic observers as well as key stakeholders in the Nigerian electoral process, as the worst election in recent history, it is indeed not surprising that the current administration could place priority on the welfare and administration of cows and cattle as opposed to the yearnings of the Nigerian people on epileptic power supplies, decaying infrastructure and inadequate health care services as well as the unprecedented level of unemployment amongst the Nigerian youths.
“Even as the country lies idle, months after the 2019 general elections, and without ministerial appointments, the sudden and vicious attention accorded the Ruga settlement, spearheaded by the vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, calls for serious concerns to all well-meaning Nigerians.”
“It is further absurd for a government to take over the responsibility of herding in a country that is bedevilled with crimes and criminality as a result of the activities of Fulani herdsmen.
“Nigerians must rise up to challenge this illegal and immoral imposition which has the tendency to cause more conflict in our rural areas with attendant results of increased rape, murder and annexation of lawfully inherited and acquired lands across the federation,” said Ezeobika.
For Delta State lawmaker, Mr. Nicholas Ossai, the programme should be limited to the North.
He said the herders are not indigenous to the south and advised the federal government to look at those things the south has comparative advantage and create economic hubs along those lines.
“They (Hausa/Fulani) are not indigenous to the south and the way of life of southerners is different. The federal government should establish modular refineries in the Niger Delta, which is indigenous to them; establish something like plantain farming and others like fish farming in the south-south. Go to the southeast and establish palm trees, peas, avocados, oranges; establish those ones for the people of the East.”
His colleague from Adamawa State, Mr. Abdurazak Namdas urged the federal government to consult the state governors saying some states have various laws.
“It is good to have ranches in the first place but as you know, states have their own laws. There is nothing wrong with collaborating with the state governments on how best it can be done. Some of these states have their various laws. I believe there is the need for the federal government to consult the state governors,” he said.
