Despite
the harsh criticism of the planned establishment of Ruga settlements
across the country, the Federal Government is set to commence the pilot
phase of the project in Taraba, Adamawa, Plateau, Kaduna and seven
other states, Saturday PUNCH’s investigations have confirmed.
It
was learnt in Abuja on Friday that the execution of the project would
start in 11 states including Sokoto, Nasarawa, Kogi, Katsina, Kebbi,
Zamfara and Niger.
Documents seen by one of our
correspondents at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development showed that all was set for the implementation of the
initiative.
According to senior officials of the ministry, the
Federal Government is determined to go ahead with the project,
notwithstanding the public outcry, particularly in the South.
“The
pilot states for its implementation are Sokoto, Adamawa, Nasarawa,
Kaduna, Kogi, Taraba, Katsina, Plateau, Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger. They
are actually 11 in number and the governors of these states are coming
to the ministry to learn how the Ruga settlements will be implemented,”
a senior official at the FMARD, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
said.
The source added, “These are the states that have
fully shown their interest. But unfortunately, people are talking about
this as if the Federal Government is planning to grab land in the
states. That’s not true. The plan is mainly for these states that are
ready and the Federal Government had a discussion with the governors
concerned.
“Some of the governors came here and they promised to
provide land because they have seen the benefits they will derive from
the initiative. It is not that the Federal Government wants to invade
the states, no!”
When asked whether the government
would go ahead with the initiative despite its rejection by many other
states, the official replied, “Why not? Of course, the government will
go ahead with the programme, particularly in states that are willing to
have it. For states that are not interested, no problem.”
On
Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Mohammed Umar, said aside
from the states where the pilot phase of the programme would start,
many other states had expressed their interest in the scheme.
The project is said to be part of the solution to the incessant clashes between farmers and herders.
Umar
had said, “The Ruga settlement will attract a lot of investment to
Nigeria and it is our belief that in the next five years, each Ruga
settlement will provide nothing less than 2,000 employment
opportunities. We are collaborating with the cattle breeders
associations in Nigeria.”
On
May 21, 2019, the immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had announced that Buhari approved the
Ruga settlement initiative earlier in the same month.
Osinbajo, Miyetti Allah differ on Ruga settlement project execution
Meanwhile,
the Office of the Vice-President and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria on Friday disagreed over the implementation of
the controversial Ruga settlement initiative.
While MACBAN’s
General Secretary, Baba Ngelzarma, claimed on Sunrise Daily, a
programme on Channels Television, on Friday that Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo’s office was helping Fulani herdsmen to create Ruga
settlements across the country, Laolu Akande, media aide to Osinbajo,
denied the claim.
Ngelzerma had told Channels Television
that the Ruga settlement model was a component part of the livestock
development and transformation plan being implemented under the Office
of the Vice-President.
He said, “All must agree with me that the
crisis we are facing today has become a multi-dimensional one. So, the
approach must also be holistic. It was the desire of the Federal
Government to take a holistic approach that gave birth to the Ruga
settlement model and it is not only Fulani who are herders.
“In
Southern Kaduna, there are natives who are also herders. Even in
Plateau, there are groups that are herders. It was intended for the
herders as part of the effort by the government to come up with an
economic model of resolving this crisis.
“This is an integrated
settlement that will bring about the production of pasture grasses,
water, schools, markets, meat and milk processing, and where it can
create a sub-sector of the economy. This is something that if done
properly, will create a lot of jobs.”
When asked if it
was right for the government to spend taxpayers’ money on what would
benefit herders alone, Ngelzerma argued that crop farmers had similarly
benefitted in the past.
However, in a swift reaction, the Office
of the Vice-President denied being in charge of the implementation of
the Ruga settlement initiative.
The Senior Special Assistant to
the Vice-President on Media and Publicity, Mr Laolu Akande, said in a
tweet on Friday that the programme being handled by Osinbajo was
different from the one being referred to by Miyetti Allah.