The Federal Government originally planned to have the controversial Ruga settlements in the 36 states of the country and not only in 12 states, investigations have shown.
But the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum and Ekiti Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said the Ruga initiative had been blown out of proportion.
He, however, said no state would be forced to surrender its land to the Federal Government for the project.
But strong indications emerged, last Saturday, that members of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may call for the investigation into the Federal Government-sponsored Ruga projects for Fulani herdsmen across the country.
It was learnt that funding arrangements, as well as other things that would ensure a seamless operation of the settlements, were still being discussed.
Senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who had earlier given the names of states where the settlements were currently being perfected, disclosed that the affected states and the Federal Government were still discussing many other issues about the settlements, including funding.
The source said: “Generally, it is a policy conceived by the Federal Government to cover the entire country. But the government decided to discuss it with the states and said states that are willing should indicate interest.
“Of course, the Federal Government is going to carry the states that are interested along. It is mainly between the Federal Government and the interested states, discussions are still ongoing and we can’t give a final figure on funding now.
“But we are surprised at the political undertone that this issue is having. Why will a group from Benue stage a protest that government wants to invade their land?”
The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Mohammed Umar, had last Tuesday, said security personnel known as agro-rangers would provide security at the Ruga settlements.
Umar also said the state governments that indicated interest had been visiting the ministry to get details about the initiative, as discussions were still ongoing to perfect the scheme.
He said, “Already, state and local governments are buying into the initiative. Many states have indicated interest. They have been coming to the ministry and stated their interest to join to ensure that we set up Ruga settlements in their states so that their nomads will have a place. They will also have cattle markets and modern abattoirs in their states.”
Meanwhile, Governors of the South-Eastern states have been warned to reject the proposed federal government’s Ruga Farm Settlement initiative or face the wrath of the people.
The Archbishop of Enugu Province Anglican Communion and Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Emmanuel Chukwuma who gave the warning said that any governor in the zone that gives land for Ruga would be forced out of office.
Speaking at St Ebenezer Anglican Church, Independent Layout Phase II, Enugu during a Thanksgiving service of Second Session of the 17th Synod of the diocese, Archbishop Chukwuma said he would personally lead a revolution to stop the governors if they tried to succumb to the enticement of the Federal government.
The cleric who had explained to the congregation the implications of the Ruga Farm Settlement on the zone and the nation at large called on church leaders to speak up and condemn the Ruga move.
He said: “They are giving states N1 billion to accept the Ruga project. I told you I am a spiritual, political mafia; I have told the governors of the South-East states, they must not accept that N1 billion to give land for Ruga.
“If they do it, I will lead a revolution to stop it. So I am using this synod to warn that no governor in the South-East should venture to give land for Ruga otherwise, they will be forced out of government house.”
Charging the people to be watchful and prayerful, Chukwuma said some of them who are religious leaders have their network and were monitoring what goes on in the country, adding that he was not afraid of anybody.
He said: “As I stand here, I am not afraid of Buhari; I’m not afraid of anybody. I am not be afraid of them because greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
“Church leaders should cry out and condemn this Ruga settlement in all its entirety because it is dangerous and it is part of the foxes that will enter into our local governments and before you know it we are no more indigenes of your place.
Also, the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Reverend Adewale Martins has called on the federal government to listen to the cries of Nigerians against the establishment of cattle colonies in states across the country.
He spoke to our correspondent shortly after administering the sacrament of confirmation on over 500 adherent of the Catholic faithful at the St Joseph Catholic Church, Kirikiri Town, saying that the establishment of Fulani settlement in states, in the name of Ruga, will create fear and suspicion among the people of the state.
He urged the federal government to take the fear of the people of Nigeria into consideration and think out a way of settling the problems between farmers and herders, especially in the consideration that the crisis between the herdsmen and some communities in the country, which had claimed many lives, had been witnessed in the past.
His words: “Before now it had been settlement for herdsmen and suddenly we are hearing about Ruga; it’s a very strange name to me; it just like finding another word for what people had rejected which obviously means that the Federal government needs to listen to what the people are saying. The experience of the so-called herdsmen in so many places is not pleasant, and so naturally, if you want to come settle them there, it’s bound to bring up fear and suspicion and therefore it’s important that federal government should listen and therefore think out another option for what they are talking about such that the way people are thinking. They can be given assurance that nobody is trying to take their land.”
The Catholic Archbishop again supported recent comment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo that there is an agenda to “fulanised” Nigeria by the present government, explaining that, “people are worried, and they are concerned; the experience of the Fulani herdsmen that we had in the last five years had not been pleasant at all, and if nothing had been done to checkmate their activities, anybody can have a feeling that there is an agenda. And indeed, it gives one a very strong feeling that there is an agenda to stir the country towards that direction, an agenda to dominate others which our government needs to take seriously.”
He called on the government to take the allegation seriously and do more to reassure Nigerians that it was not working towards that direction, especially as the measure of trust that they need from Nigerians is not there and there is a need to build that trust if Nigerians will really take them seriously.
Archbishop Martins urged the government to do more to clear the container-bearing trailers in the Apapa, Kirikiri area to ensure that the people of the area enjoy their stay in Lagos.
He lamented the heavy-traffic gridlock at inward Kirikiri from Mile 2, calling on both state and federal governments to work towards opening up the road for easy access to the Kirikiri town.
The cleric called on the government to fix the road to ensure that there is easy entry and exit in and out of the Kirikiri town.
Earlier in his homily, the Catholic clergy called on politicians to do their job the way God had instructed them to.
He admonished Christians to always listen to the call of God, urging them to always follow Christ, learn from Him and live by Him.
The Parish Priest of St Joseph Catholic Church Kirikiri, Reverend Father Cletus Udoh thanked the archbishop for coming especially in consideration of his busy scheduled.
As the controversy over the setting up of Ruga Cattle Colony in 12 states of the country to aid cattle grazing hots up, leaders of Benue State, Ontiv Professional Association, Abuja, Sunday has urged the Federal government to stay action or face legal action.
Although, the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo has dissociated himself from the project through his Special Adviser on Media, Laolu Akande, who explained that “government will not impose on any state (use of) of its land.”
But at a media parley in Abuja, its Chairman, Engr Benjamin Nyior, who aligned with the Benue State, and maintained that anything short of their demands would mean that “Benue people are targets of annexation in their fatherland.”
He questioned the abrupt mobilisation of contractors to site when discussions were still ongoing with representatives of government.
He said: “In rising against it, we shall seek all lawful avenues of redress to achieve the wishes of the people of Benue State. Although we are aware that land could be acquired for Overriding Public Interest, RUGA settlements, to our understanding, does not qualify under the Land Use Act for this criterion.
“We are also aware that it is settled law as expressed in the case of R. Nkwocha v Governor of Anambra State by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to the effect that “individual rights to land ownership cannot be expropriated for any other individual or group of individuals.
“The people of the state have spontaneously demonstrated with peaceful protests their dissatisfaction with this project which to the least seeks to forcefully take over Tiv ancestral lands for the Fulani ethnic group and impose eventual actualisation of the takeover of the Benue Valley for the Fulani ethnic group.
“We wish to be assuaged that this decision is not contemplated by the Federal government for purpose as insinuated above and that Benue and in fact all Nigerians are proud members of project Nigeria and so will not be denied their rights to the advantage of another ethnic group in this country.”
Alternatively, Nyior suggested that money budgeted for the establishment of the project should be channeled towards resettling displaced indigenes who are still in camps.
“We affirm strongly that RUGA is not what the state needs at this point. Our people need re-settlement, restoration of their pride as members of the Nigerian project, restoration to their farms to continue to feed the nation and to live peacefully with themselves believing that their protection by the government will be guaranteed,” he added.