All the five South-East state governors, Samuel Ortom (Benue); Darius Ishaku (Taraba) and the Ondo State Government have rejected the Ruga settlements proposed by the government of president Muhammadu Buhari, saying they would not give out their land for herdsmen’s settlements in their states.
Recall that On May 21, 2019, the then Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had announced that president Buhari had approved the Ruga settlement initiative earlier in the same month.
“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 parlour thus preventing their wives from moving around with milk. This is especially to avert any conflict between the herders and the farmers,” Ogbeh was quoted as saying.
However, Mr. Ortom said Benue State has no land for the Federal Government proposed Ruga settlements.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, he stated that Ruga settlement policy was imposed on states during the National Council on Agriculture summit held in Owerri, Imo State, in April this year by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The statement read partly, “We find the approach of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture not only as a gross violation of the Ranching law but also as an insult to the sensibilities of the entire people of Benue State.
“During the National Council on Agriculture summit which took place in Owerri, Imo State in April this year, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture attempted to impose Ruga settlement on the states but the Benue State delegation seized the opportunity to remind the summit that Benue State has a law on ranching which has phased out open grazing. No one at the summit put forth an alternative method of animal husbandry to counter the state’s presentation.
“The Government of Benue State is willing to support cattle owners to establish ranches as stipulated by the law prohibiting open grazing.
“We however wish to reiterate that Benue State has no land for grazing reserves, grazing routes, cattle colonies or Ruga settlements. The state only has land for the establishment of ranches.”
Also the Imo State Government rejected RUGA, noting that no state in the South East would accept such.
The Special Adviser on Media to the state Governor, Steve Osuji, said this to reporters in Owerri on Tuesday.
Similarly, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Dan Abu, said the state would not accept anything except ranching.
According to him, ranching remained the best option in the resolution of the crisis, urging the Federal Government to key into the ranching policy as the best option in the resolution of the herders-farmers’ crisis.
He said, “We have a policy on this issue already which led to the enactment of the open grazing and ranches establishment law. This policy remains the best practice the world over in animal rearing.
“We implore the Federal Government to key into the ranching policy for the overall interest of herders and farmers. For now, we will not accept anything other than ranching.”
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