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RSG Rejects Ruga Sattlements …Assures Commitment To Protect Rivers Interest …Ijaw Has No Land For Ruga Settlement -IYC
Rivers State Government has stated that it would not participate in the Federal Government’s Ruga settlements for herdsmen.
The Rivers State Government, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, noted that the state has no land for the implementation of such a policy.
It noted that in his second term, Governor Nyesom Wike, has prioritised commercial agriculture, hence all available arable land in the state would be needed to drive commercial agriculture across the state to create employment for Rivers youths.
The state government emphasised that it has not given any approval for the sitting of Ruga settlements anywhere in Rivers State.
It added that no such approval would come from the Rivers State Government for the Ruga settlements.
The statement reiterated that Governor Nyesom Wike would continue to defend the interest of Rivers people, who have overwhelmingly rejected cattle colonies, Ruga settlements and any such policy.
“Rivers indigenes are hereby advised to join the state government to protect all arable lands by reporting any form of encroachment under whatever guise”, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), yesterday, said the Ijaw ethnic nationality has no land for the proposed RUGA settlement for Fulani cattle rearers.
The council also admonished the governors of the six South-South states and Ondo in the South-West region not to bow to pressure from the Federal Government in their own interests.
The President of the council, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, who disclosed this in a statement, also asserted, “We reject Fulani Vigilance Group in our territory and we do not have land to accommodate foreigners.
“The desert North is big enough for the Fulanis to rear their cattle. We will not accommodate people whose ultimate goal is to carry out religious jihad against their hosts in order to establish their Islamic caliphate.
“The Fulanis, who have been terrorising the indigenous people in the Meddle Belt as well as some parts of Southern Nigeria are seen as a trojan horse to us.
“IYC rejects in its entirety the move by the Federal Government to establish the said Ruga settlement for the Fulanis. The government should not by act of omission or commission instigate ethno-religious crisis in the country.
“The genocide being perpetrated against the Middle Beltans by these Fulani warmongers under Buhari’s government has not been addressed by the latter with a determined effort.
“At the height of the killings by the Fulani terrorists, the Presidency only said the Middle Belt people should relinquish their ancestral lands to the killer herdsmen or be ready to be killed continuously. How can we cede our land to such persons, who take delight in massacring innocent people under the gleeful eyes of the Federal Government of Nigeria?
“We will not invite such trojan horses to our land in order not to betide future generations. We are warning the six governors of the South-South states together with the governor of Ondo State not to accept that dangerous proposal.
“Should any of them being politically cajoled to accept the proposal then we will take a bloody revolution against them and their imperial interest. This is not a warning. Ijaw people are ready to defend our land even with the last drop of our blood,” he added.
Oweilaemi stated, “On the Fulani Vigilance Group, our message is the same. We do not need any vigilante group by the world number four terrorist organisation. If the government of Nigeria cannot protect us, then the Ijaw nation is able to protect our lands and people.
“We are able to protect our territorial integrity to ward off internal and external aggressors, including criminal syndicates. The security of lives and property is constitutionally vested in the government.
“If , however, the government is unable to protect us, then, we will set up our own security outfits to protect our lands. President Buhari should immediately call his Fulani people to order before they set the country ablaze.
“Nigeria is on the precipice heading to the cliff. The time bomb is ticking faster than expected. The antics of the Fulani ethnic group may ignite the conflagration that will consume the entire country. Our patient is running thin,” he said.
Also, opposition has continued to mount against the Federal Government’s Ruga settlement programme for herdsmen in the country, as the South East governors insisted, yesterday, that there was no land for it in the region, even as Benue State government debunked claims by the Presidency that land had been gazetted in Benue and other states for the settlement.
This is just as Southern and Middle Belt leaders, also yesterday, challenged the Presidency to release the Ruga settlement gazette number and its content, wondering in what capacity the Federal Government gazetted land in all states of the federation.
Similarly, Yoruba Council of Elders, YCE, and Agbekoya Farmers’ Association described the proposed Ruga settlement as dead on arrival, while Benue State chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, accused the Federal Government of nursing a hidden agenda with the introduction of Ruga settlements for herdsmen in Benue and other parts of the country.
Governor of Ebonyi State and Chairman of South-Easst Governors Forum, Dave Umahi, said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Uzor, that there is no plan to establish Ruga settlement in any part of the South-East and South-South zones.
He said the region did propose a deal with the members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, MACBAN, as panacea to achieving lasting peace between farmers and herdsmen.
He, however, denied any plan by governors of the zones to cede any part of their land for Ruga settlement.
He said: “There is no plan for any Ruga settlement in any part of South-East and South-South zones; but we made a proposed deal with MACBAN that can allow the zone to become very good business with sale of grasses to the herdsmen in exchange for meat.
“We actually proposed a deal with MACBAN to take their cattle to the northern parts where grazing reserves were established long time ago and rely completely on the grasses grown in the south for feeding of their cattle.” Umahi, who was chairman of the technical committee on farmers and herdsmen clash, carved from the National Economic Council headed by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, said the committee had recommended the revamping of existing grazing reserves in Nigeria.
In another development, Renowned Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged the President Buhari-led government to handle the issue of RUGA settlement carefully as “there cannot be any kind of society where cattle take priority over human beings.”
Soyinka, who was a special guest at the official launch of Solution 17, an initiative geared towards youth empowerment and sustainable development, maintained that the practice of herders’ settlement across Nigeria is neither strange nor mysterious.
Fielding questions from newsmen, he said: “Ruga is going to be an exclusive issue and it had better be handled very carefully. Why is it that we fail to take our models from successful performers? There are ways in which people deal, and have dealt for decades—for centuries with cattle everywhere.
I travel everywhere. It is nothing so strange; there is nothing mysterious about cattle rearing. “Why should cattle become a problem just because we like to eat beef? I don’t understand it. There are solutions which are very simple.
“People have talked about ranching, but the ranching has got to be done in places which are environmentally congenial to that particular kind of trade and at the same time do not afflict humanity.
“What’s the point in trying to provide food and the food chokes us; which is what cattle and cattle-rearers have been doing? We have a situation where cattle walk up to my own door in Abeokuta which is supposed to be a residential area.
“There is a problem when cattle go to Ijebu-Ode and eat up Sodipe’s (a furniture maker’s) planted seedlings. And this is someone who is working towards a guaranteed environment by planting trees to replace the trees (timber) which he has used.
“And then cattle come and eat up all of that and you expect people to sit down and be quiet? “And then Buhari took such a long time. For me, he deserved—and I have written this down— to have lost the last election if only on account of the lackadaisical attitude which he took to the issue of cattle-rearers.
“People have been killed in hundreds till today and it is only because of the failure of leadership at the critical time.
“That is the most important thing and the cattle rearers have been given a sense of impunity: they kill without any compunction; they drive farmers also who are contributing to the food solution of the country away; burn their crops; eat their crops; and then you come with Ruga.
“I think there is going to be trouble in this country if this cattle-rearing issue is not handled imaginatively and with humanity as the priority. There cannot be any kind of society where cattle take priority over human beings. It is as elementary as that”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
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