No one is imposing Ruga settlement on any state – Lalong

…Says Ruga settlement is ranching

‘World Bank, AfDB supporting it’

Mathew Dadiya, Abuja

Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has clarified that the controversial ‘Ruga’ settlements planned in some states of the country by the Federal Government, saying that it is the same as the ranching that was approved by the National Economic Council (NEC).

Lalong, who is the Chairman of Northern Governors Forum, said that the NEC had raised a National Food Security committee chaired by Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, which approved the National Livestock Transformation Plan as part of efforts to curb incessant clashes between herders and farmers across the country.

The governor gave the explanation on Monday after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

Lalong told journalists that the controversy over the issue was unnecessary as the all governors at NEC agreed on the policy of ranching and the furore was just about the particular name been given to the policy.

But this has caused uproar with some states backing out on the grounds that it could cause further alienation of the indigenes if their lands are taken away for the projects.

Lalong said: “The Ruga thing should not be anything that should bring controversy with the level of sensitisation we’ve already made.

“I am a member of the food security committee, I am a member of the herdsmen/farmers committee, we’ve gone a long way on this issue and we’ve said that the only solution that can address some of these insecurity issues between herdsmen and farmers is the ranching policy.

“You remember that one time we have gone far when some people called it colony and called it this and that, and it created controversy.

“Again, we have gone far under the leadership of Mr. Vice-President and then we are hearing other terms, what they are talking about is the same thing that we are talking about.

“But I think when they mention Ruga, it may be particular to a particular tribe but what we are doing is all encompassing, it’s for the benefit of Nigeria.

“I have said particularly in my state that animal husbandry, livestock rearing is not a prerogative of one tribe, everybody must get involved in it and that is what we have done in our state when we registered for it.

“We said we are going to put these structures to enable us to encourage youth, train youth. Right now we are training Permanent Secretaries, retired civil servants who would also get involved in it so that we can address some of the insecurity that we have in the nation.

“So, when somebody mentioned another word, people would not wait to question and find out who and who are bringing those words, that is just the simple fact.

“Mr. President has not imposed that on any state, it is voluntary. So some of the states applied and we are at the level of the pilot scheme and some mischief makers would start bringing terms to cause confusion in the country.

“I am a member of the committee, by the time we addressed that issue some people said yes we would prefer to do open grazing in our state, some said we would prefer to do ranching in our state and some said in our state we would call it Ruga model.

“So, different states with different approaches, but the Ruga term is not general to everybody. In my state we call it livestock ‘something’. It’s not Ruga and we have explained it to people.”

The governor added that donor agencies are coming from all over world to support the programme, stressing that “it is not a Federal Government project, the World Bank is involved and the African Development Bank is involved.

“So, if you have a scheme like this that can take poverty, bring revenue and also address insecurity, you will need to go into it but with due consultation from your state.

“We did a lot of sensitization; in my state it took me three months to do sensitisation and we all agreed that we should bring this concept to empower people.

It is not meant to empower one tribe, it is for everybody and that would address the issue of insecurity because we don’t want people moving from one place to another looking for grasses.”