The Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), in Southern Nigeria on
Sunday, cautioned the people of the area to remain vigilant even with
the suspension of the controversial Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen.
The was made known in a press statement issued by Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, Secretary of CAN, in the 17 Southern States.
DAILY POST recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari had suspended the RUGA programme till further notice.
Ajujungwa, who suspects that the suspension of the programme by
President Muhammadu Buhari may not be its end, said there was every
indication that an underground work was still on, even though Buhari
claimed to have suspended it.
He called on every Southerner to be watchful, stressing that “even as
we pray, we don’t need to keep quiet; they are experts in underground
work.”
“We do not have land to give to anybody as a grazing field or colony
and we call on the South East governors to maintain their stand that
they do not have such a place. Do you know what it means to give 10
hectares of land to herdsmen? We say no to that.
“As CAN, we will preach it from our pulpit, every Imam should peach
from the mosque and the traditionalists should stand against it; nobody
should relent; no land should be given; any traditional ruler that does
that should be dethroned.
“In the North, we have largest hectares of land, very vast that
nobody is occupying. Why are they not building the ranches, Ruga of
whatever there? They can come here, take grass and go, and we buy cow in
exchange, just like the governors said. We do not have such mass land
required.”
“We are also calling on the Federal Government to be mindful of what
they are doing because cattle rearing is a private farming business. Why
should the government support individual cattle farmers against other
farmers?” he said.
On the threat and ultimatum issued by a coalition of Northern Youths,
Ajujungwa said “they should understand that nobody has the monopoly of
violence. As they are planning to attack, others are planning to defend
themselves and we cannot run away for them.
“CAN is calling on all Christians, all law abiding citizens of the
Southern Nigeria to please watch and pray. Watch means that you must
open your eyes to see what is going on and therefore pray; do not
relent.
“Anybody that is coming to buy land now, in the name of business,
factory, and what have you, let us be cautious in dealing with the
person, because their plot is to turn such into colony.”