The Federal Government originally planned to have the
controversial Ruga settlements in every part of the country and not only in 11
states.
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But the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum and Ekiti
Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the Ruga initiative had been blown out of proportion.
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He, however, said no state would be forced to surrender its
land to the Federal Government for the project.
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There are strong indications on Saturday that members of the
main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, may call for the investigation
into the Federal Government sponsored Ruga projects for Fulani herdsmen across
the country.
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SUNDAY PUNCH learnt on Saturday that funding arrangements,
as well as other things that would ensure a seamless operation of the
settlements, were still being discussed.
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Senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and
Rural Development, who had earlier given one of our correspondents the names of
states where the settlements were currently being perfected, stated that the
affected states and the Federal Government were still discussing many other
issues about the settlements, including funding.
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The source said, "Generally, it is a policy conceived by the
Federal Government to cover the entire country. But the government decided to
discuss it with the states and said states that are willing should indicate
interest.
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"Of course, the Federal Government is going to carry the
states that are interested along. It is mainly between the Federal Government
and the interested states, discussions are still ongoing and we can't give a
final figure on funding now.
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"But we are surprised at the political undertone that this
issue is having. Why will a group from Benue stage a protest that government
wants to invade their land?ÔÇØ
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The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Mohammed Umar, on Tuesday
said security personnel known as agro-rangers would provide security at the
Ruga settlements.
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Umar also said the state governments that indicated interest
had been visiting the ministry to get details about the initiative, as
discussions were still ongoing to perfect the scheme.
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He said, "Already state and local governments are buying
into the initiative. Many states have indicated interest. They have been coming
to the ministry and stated their interest to join to ensure that we set up Ruga
settlements in their states so that their nomads will have a place. They will
also have cattle markets and modern abattoirs in their states.ÔÇØ
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On May 21, 2019, the immediate past Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, announced that Buhari approved the Ruga
settlement initiative earlier in the same month.
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Ogeh said, "Just 10 days ago President Muhammadu Buhari
approved a programme called the Ruga settlement. We are going to build
settlements where herders will live, grow their cattle and produce milk. The
milk will be bought by a milking palour thus preventing their wives from moving
around with milk. This is especially to avert any conflict between the herders
and the farmers.ÔÇØ
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No state can be forced to surrender land, says Fayemi
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Fayemi, while responding to an inquiry from one of our
correspondents via a text message, said the initiative had nothing to do with
the NGF, stressing that issues surrounding land use were at the discretion of
respective governors.
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He said, "The so-called Ruga initiative has nothing to do
with NGF. We have never discussed this and none of my colleagues has raised the
matter in my period in office.ÔÇØ
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Fayemi said no state could be forced to surrender land
within its jurisdiction and as such there was no cause for alarm.
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The governor added, "I don't believe any state is under
threat of its land being taken over for this purpose. Governors have exclusive
preserve over the land within their states jurisdiction. This is a storm in a
teacup.ÔÇØ
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PDP senators to demand probe
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Some PDP senators who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday on
and off record condemned the involvement of the President Muhammadu Buhari led
administration in such project.
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They described as unfair any action by the Federal
Government to take over other people's land for the establishment of herdsmen
settlements with billions from the national treasury, promising to initiate
probe into the project.
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The PDP member representing Ondo Central Senatorial
District, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, one of told our correspondents in a telephone
interview on Saturday that the project ought to be investigated.
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He said, "We have to study the provisions in the 2019 budget
and see whether the Fulani herdsmen settlements projects were adequately
captured in it. We will know what to do if the project was captured in the
budget or not. But definitely, we should look into it.ÔÇØ
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Meanwhile, the Federal Government has allocated the sum of
N2.26bn in the 2019 budget for the development of national grazing reserves.
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The amount is contained in the 2019 budget signed into law
by the President on May 28.
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Specifically, the N2.26bn is contained under the budget of
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
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Based on analysis of the 2019 budget of the ministry of
agriculture, there is no specific amount captured with the nomenclature of Ruga
settlement.
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However, there are other budgetary provisions made for
various agricultural projects such as N2bn for support of infrastructure
projects and coordination services
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Also, some members of the House of Representatives expressed
reservations about the project.
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One of them, Mr Nicholas Ossai from Delta State, who spoke
with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, asked the Federal Government to establish
agricultural projects in the geopolitical zones based on what they produce.
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He said, "I think the Federal Government should start from the North. They should start from Sokoto, Katsina, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Yobe and Borno states as a pilot programme. The people - Hausa/Fulani - are indigenous to these areas but they are not indigenous to the South. They should be able to localise the people based on their way of life rather than spreading it to all parts of the country. That is what they should do.ÔÇØ (DP)
