The Federal Government has suspended the `Ruga Settlement’ Programme initiated by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in preference for the National Economic Council (NEC)’s National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), the Governor of Ebonyi State, Mr. Dave Umahi, has said.
Umahi told State House correspondents after a meeting of the NEC Committee of Farmers/Herders Crisis Chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday that the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) would be all inclusive and that it was for states that were willing to key into the programme.
`Ruga Settlement’ is a rural settlement in which animal farmers/herders stay in an designated place provided with basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, road networks, vet clinics, markets among others.
However, the initiative has elicited nationwide controversy.
“We, the NEC Committee on Farmers/Herders Crisis under the Chairmanship of the Vice President, met today to deliberate on the approved programme of the NEC and Federal Government tagged, NLTP.
“We are aware that the president has suspended the implementation of `Ruga’ Programme initiated and being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
“This is because it is not consistent with the NEC and Federal Government’s approved NLTP.
“NLTP has programmes of rehabilitation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) resulting from the crisis and also development of ranching in any willing state of the federation; the word is willing state of the federation.
“Its beauty is that what NEC and the Federal Government approved is a voluntary programme to all the 36 states which may like to participate.
“So, it is not compulsory; it is for any state that is willing, will key into the programme,’’ he said.
The governor said that any state interested in the programme was required to bring up a development plan that was keyed towards the implementation in line with the Federal Government’s own programme.
According to Umahi, any willing state is expected to come up with a plan unique to it based on the challenges that it has in respect of the farmers/herders crisis.
Meanwhile, the RUGA programme had been criticized and rejected by many states in the country, ethnic groups as well as prominent Nigerians.
For instance, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a socio-cultural group of Igbo Ethnic group of the South East of the country, had accused President Muhammmadu Buhari of jettisoning the rule of law to favour his kinsmen.
Chief John Nnia Nwodo, President General of Ohanaeze, said the federal government of Nigeria was violating the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution on the administration of land, warning that it was a clear pointer to anarchy.
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, had also warned the federal government that “Ruga is going to be an explosion if not handled with care, while the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, said the federal government’s insistence on the implementation of the Ruga project was meant to elevate the Fulani above other ethnic groups in the country. Yinka Odumakin, spokesman, Afenifere, insisted that the government by its action was promoting ethnic hatred in the country.
GIK/APA