Replace RUGA with ranching, Nigerians tell FG

The Federal Government of Nigeria has suspended the establishment of the proposed cattle settlement project (popularly called RUGA). The establishment  according to the federal government was the way out of the herders, farmers’ face off, but many Nigerians thought otherwise with the unprovoked killings ongoing across the country by the herdsmen.

The Hope went to town to seek views of people on its suspension of the programme and on the way forward.

Excerpts :

Chief Femi Aluko, former Commissioner for Information, in Ondo State and Afenifere Chieftain.

The suspension by the Federal Government is a welcome development Ranching is the way out and it should be done by individuals not FG paying to establish RUGA.

The thinking of Yoruba race had been expressed by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State. This is our stand and no inch of our land will be conceded for RUGA settlement. South West  is saying capital NO to RUGA at this moment. It is nothing but another diversionary tactic to unleash mayhem on our people. The Federal Government  should look for ranches for the herdsmen in the Northern states to trade their cattles. They have large land that can occupy their cattle without any friction. We can supply them with grass in the South West,  but for them to come and destroy our farms further is tantamount to provocation of the highest order. The mainstay of our economy in the South West is agriculture, should we therefore allow the herdsmen to ravage our farms, kill our people further? Establishing RUGA settlement in the state will destroy our main economy and put the state in danger. Establishing it will also create tension and there will be enmity between the farmers and the herdsmen in the country.

Basorun Seinde Arogbofa, Secretary General, Pan Yoruba Socio-political organisation, Afenifere.

The Federal Government should look at the recommendations that eminent Nigerians put together at the National  Confab held in 2014, this should be critically assessed. The solutions to myriad of problems bedeviling the country are inside. We should be true with one another. You don’t force RUGA on the people. Five hundred  reasonable Nigerians came out with six hundred resolutions, let’s go back to the recommendations. Federal government should call a spade, a spade. Well, it is good that it has been suspended. The solutions to our problems are contained  in 2014 confab reports.

Do we really have that land for RUGA in the state? If you give such a large expanse of land for RUGA settlement, what will other agricultural projects be used for?  Cattle business is a private thing and Federal Government should allow it to remain private. Can RUGA help our socio-cultural business in the country? With what we have seen in this country, the insurgency, should we embrace cow settlement again in the country? I think we are not sincere with ourselves in this country.

Mr Femi Falana, Human Rights Activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria

“As far back as 2016, the Buhari administration had opted for ranching. To actualize the ranching policy eleven states had made available 55,000 hectares of land. Ranching has also been adopted by the National Livestock Policy  of the Buhari administration. What is now left is for the immediate implementation of the ranching programme.”

RUGA should not just be suspended but cancelled completely by the Federal Government. It should be replaced with ranching funded by the state governments and individual stakeholders with the assistance of the federal government.

Miss Tequila Oladumoye

We can see that the Fulanis are everywhere in the South West causing havoc and this was not happening before. And I will like to advise the government to act fast before it affects everybody. With the situation of things already,  we cannot travel, everybody is scared, even those abroad cannot come home because of the bad media reports. Rather than suggesting RUGA settlement, they should rather look for ways to tighten the security, employ foreign aides and curb the current unrest. If RUGA settlement is approved, our lives will definitely be at the mercy of Fulani herdsmen.

Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

This is a welcome development in view of public reactions to the plan. “1 comment the president for listening and accepting that the RUGA policy should be suspended.”

“I am hopeful that on further consideration, the President will cancel it all together

Senator Ayo Fasanmi, a leader of Afenifere

Buhari has proved once again that he is a democrat.  A good leader would listen to the people and feel their pulse on government proposals in taking a final decision. President Buhari may have good intention with the RUGA project but the issue has been politicized and mis-interpreted. “We have lived together with Fulani herders here in the South West from time immemorial. I have Fulanis as personal friends. We have lived together in harmony. It is unfortunate some people have brought politics into the matter. That explains why I advised against the government proposal to establish cattle ranching all over the country.

Bola Adeniyi

RUGA settlement is not a problem. I think that there are better ways to approach issue like this . Naturally, according to statistics, there are always reports of high rate of insecurity after every election year. Now, it is because of insecurity that we have these agitations against the proposed plan of the federal government. Prior to this time , the only issue was how to curtail the Farmers’ and herdsmen clashes and this is why the settlement was proposed.

However, my first angle to it is that, when confined to a place, the cattle may not grow better due to their nature.

Secondly, considering the already Shasha Markets in Ondo State, predominantly occupied by Fulanis and Hausas, these people are not there without the consent of the Obas. In this same line, the Ruga Settlement is just to curb the clashes and insecurity in the country. Well, some are looking at it based on a religious sentiment. I do not believe Buhari needs a settlement to fulanize the country.

And remember nobody talked about christianization when we had a Christian leader. Nigeria is a secular state and islamaziation can’t happen over night .

Besides, most of these killings are not 100% done by the Fulanis. I read a story about some nabbed kidnappers dressed like Fulanis during their questioning, they confessed to be indigenes of Ondo and Kogi states.

The issue is just the fear of accommodating a tribe due to a bad image by some bad reports.

Personally, the Fulanis are peace loving people, I served in the North yet you don’t cross your boundary likeswise in the Yoruba land. But since the proposed  RUGA settlements have been suspended by the Federal Government, it is now time to develop the  country. I understand that the fear is that once it is approved, there might be war, and again this still boils down to a religious and tribal sentiments.