In a move to douse the raging storm over the planned Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen across the states of the federation, the Vice Chairman of the National Food Security Council and Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu has allayed fears that the federal government was planning to acquire lands and clandestinely settle Fulani herders in other parts of the country.
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Speaking exclusively to THISDAY last night, Bagudu said contrary to some insinuations doing the rounds, the Ruga intervention was an initiative designed to assist in improving the living conditions of the Fulani herdsmen in places that they currently live across the country.
But the National Leader of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, has described the plan to create Ruga settlements for herdsmen across the states of the federation as illegal and horrible, saying the proposal would be resisted.
Corroborating the views of the Ijaw leader, a Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, also said the Ruga settlement idea could only succeed if the governors cooperated, because land is constitutionally vested in them.
In the same vein, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), at the weekend, kicked against the Ruga move, while Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group reiterated that the Yoruba remained opposed to the creation of such settlements in their region.
The Taraba State government equally said there was no way the Ruga settlement would pass with it, because it had already made provisions for ranching in its anti-open grazing law of 2017.
However, insisting there was nothing to fret about, the Kebbi governor, who argued that the initiative transcends just extending help to the Fulani herders, posited that the national food security council was also concerned about farmers, fishing communities and pastoralists.
“The Council is cognizant of the importance of small scale, family owned and seldom uninsured farmers, fishing communities and pastoralist. It is necessary to support all the respective groups so that they generate more output from the activities, earn more income and thus contributing to enhanced growth in the economy.”
For each of these groups, he noted that the federal government was already exploring the different ways to support them even as he mentioned that over N23 billion had already been spent to support farmers alone.
Thus, when asked specifically if the idea did not include acquiring lands, he said, “No. Absolutely, no! The government is just going to – just like saying these are Fulani villages. They are currently living in these villages but in the entire place, they don’t have water. They don’t have veterinary services. They don’t have schools.
“We want to encourage these communities to remain in one place; to modernise their activities. We might as well, even if it is on private scheme start so that we can see the efficacy of the modern life. This is the beauty of it; it is not a grazing reserve. It is not a colony. It is like the federal government coming to Kebbi State and saying, ‘show me where your Fulanis are and, I show them and they found out that they don’t have water, schools and they don’t have everything that the government is providing elsewhere.
“We are saying okay, let’s have a pilot scheme. Let’s try to provide all these since we’re recognising their challenges. We are not rewarding them; we are not bribing them. We are not giving them money.
“In the final analysis, it must be reiterated that the national food security council is concerned about farmers, fishing communities and pastoralists. So, for each of these groups, we are exploring what we can do to support them. Over N23 billion is being spent to support farmers. We are also working on a project for the fishing communities,” he said.
Talking about Ruga, Bagudu said, “Let me tell you – I don’t know whether you know what Ruga is. If you can go to any state in the north or a place filled with Fulani, you go near a village or a town you will see Fulani settlements. I am sure you have seen one or two.
“A Ruga is where Fulani stay and communities accept that. The key thing is legitimacy, which has been recognised by the respective communities. It is a very important element. We are not talking about buying lands and giving it to Fulani. We are not talking about buying lands and putting them in grazing reserves.
“We are saying – for example, if you go to Oyo, maybe you will see where Fulani are staying. The people in that community are okay with it, for example. So, that is a Ruga. That is where they stay. But like I said earlier, the important element is that the place was accepted by the original people, whether it is in Kebbi, Sokoto or Oyo, it must meet with the acceptance of the communities.
“So, the key thing is, if that is the case, and those people have animals in that location, then, it seems sensible to support them with water so that they don’t go in search for water. It is that search that can cause a problem, for example.
“Ruga has a sense of legitimacy, where the Fulani are settled,” he said, noting that they are mostly accepted by host communities that are okay with the Fulani.
“But in 100 per cent of the Ruga, you won’t find water. You won’t find schools. You won’t find anything government should mainly provide for communities and towns.
“So, what we are saying is, if we want our farmers to thrive, we should support them. In order to avoid conflict-behaviour, we must begin to provide water for them in the communities, where they live and we want the government to provide services like veterinary clinics for them. You might as well provide these services for them so that they will remain in one place.
“Nigeria is starting with the Ruga pilot programme in some states so that these can take place, where the majority of Fulani are found anywhere. So, if the government starts there and it succeeds, then the possibility that they will move elsewhere is reduced.
“And, we are not giving them money. We are saying give them the infrastructure that the government is already providing to other communities,” he explained.
But speaking earlier on the raging issue before THISDAY spoke Governor Bagudu, Clark said: “The whole idea is unconstitutional and obnoxious. Nigerians, especially from the South and Middle Belt, will not allow Fulani settlement in their area.
“I am familiar with what is going on in Kaduna already. This kind of settlement is creating problem between Southern Kaduna and Fulani. So, we cannot allow Ruga in the South. Fulani is not the only ethnic group in Nigeria.”
Wondering if President Muhammadu Buhari was also taking Ijaw people to every part of Nigeria to settle, Clark insisted that the idea of the Fulani settlements was an abomination and unconstitutional, particularly for two reasons.
“First, the Land Use Act, which is part of the 1999 Constitution, states categorically that land in every state of the federation, especially in the urban area, is vested in the governor of the state, who holds it in trust for the people.
“And the land in the rural areas is held in trust by the local government council for the people as well. Only these authorities have the right to grant, give and sell communal land to any person. In addition, the rights of individuals are also respected in the Land Use Act.
“When in 2014 some people suggested that the Land Use Act should be removed from the 1999 Constitution, the northerners were opposed to it. Why are they proposing to bring Fulani settlement to every state in the country?
“We cannot allow Fulani settlements in any part of Nigeria. The Presidency cannot create permanent settlement for Fulani across the federation.
“With the establishment of Fulani Radio, our security is not guaranteed. Fulanis in the South are already going about with AK-47 rifles, harassing everybody, particularly in the South-west, where they said they had about 19 camps. It is dangerous.
“It is not in the interest of the people of Nigeria. I call on Mr. President to withdraw it with immediate effect if he wants to be the President of Nigeria as he is today.”
The Ijaw leader said he was sure “no governor in the South and Middle Belt will not allow it. Let us respect one another in this country if we want to move together and live together as one country. No part should impose its will or religion on us. We belong to a federation.
“There is nowhere in the world where one ethnic group is being imposed upon in a federal state.”
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