The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has called for national summit following the suspension of the RUGA settlement scheme by the Federal Government.
The General Secretary of PFN, Nuhu Kure, made the call in Ibadan during a courtesy call on the National Vice President of the association, Bishop Wale Oke.
RUGA, a scheme designed to settle herdsmen and their cattle on acquired lands in states in the federation, is the recent of many solutions offered by the Federal Government to resolve the farmers/ herdsmen crisis in the country.
Kure said that the Federal Government ought to consult widely before unveiling such a scheme.
“The Federal Government should rather organise a national summit in the mold of a confab where stakeholders would converge and have the opportunity to iron out grey areas,” he said.
He also urged the Federal Government to tackle the farmers/herders crisis with tactical diplomacy in a way that would promote national unity.
“We appeal to President Buhari to urgently find means to resolve this situation with fairness and equity in order to prevent a Nigeria that degenerates into a state of anarchy where pervasive lawlessness is the order of the day, “ he said.
The clergyman also appealed to the Kaduna State government to suspend policies he described as controversial and intolerant.
“The governor should thread the path of reasoning in order not to cause disunity among Nigerians,” he said.
In his remarks, Oke said that the situation of the country was not beyond redemption.
He called for sincerity and commitment on the part of the people and the government.
Oke, the Presiding Bishop of the Sword of the Spirit Ministries, appealed to Christians to be law abiding and not to relent in their support for the nation both physically and spiritually.
Meanwhile, the last may not have been heard about Ruga despite Federal Government’s decision to suspend the policy, as Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), has promised to engage the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) over the 30-day ultimatum it issued to the government to rescind the decision.
The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, who made the disclosure in a statement he personally signed and issued to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, argued that the leadership of the coalition was genuinely and responsibly concerned about the betterment of the whole nation and the well-being of the North.
The forum also assured everyone especially Northerners that what would come out of the suspension at the end of the day would turn out to be more beneficial and in the best interest of the whole nation.
It also promised to work on various benefits that would serve the interest of all both in the short and long terms, urging for understanding and cooperation from every quarter.
“With the ensuing development following the announcement of the suspension of the Ruga resettlement initiative by the Federal Government on Wednesday, it has become pertinent for me as chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum to make clarifications on the true position (of things) in order to calm nerves.
“We have acknowledged the varied responses that have been coming in throughout the hours after the announcement of the suspension which we see as part of the beauty of democracy which allows citizens to participate in shaping and moderating the functions of government with regard to the matter of public interest.
“Meanwhile, we urge all stakeholders and all shades of interested parties, especially from the North, to remain calm and air their views democratically and decently while allowing the government a chance to handle the matter,” the statement read.