…says ‘It’s an abomination to ban open grazing in Benue’
By TIMOTHY AGBOR, Osogbo
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria has urged state governments and socio-cultural groups to allow the Federal Government to establish Ruga settlements for herdsmen across the country, saying it would bring lasting solutions to security challenges in the country.
MACBAN’s Chairman in Plateau State, Alhaji Muhammad Nuru, stated this known while speaking on a radio programme monitored by our correspondent in Osogbo.
Nuru said that the Ruga settlements would make Fulani cattle rearers to have a common boundary and would assist in fishing out the criminal elements among them, thereby enabling the country to tackle insecurity better.
He admitted that there were some bad eggs among Fulani herdsmen, but pleaded with state governments to allow the settlements to be sited in their states, adding that that would bring lasting solution to farmer/herders’ clash and allegations of banditry, killings and kidnappings by Fulani herdsmen.
Recall that since the Federal Government made known its plan to establish Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen, the idea has been met with condemnations by some states and cultural groups , including the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and other organisations.
The Federal Government had said that in the next five years the establishment of the Ruga herdsmen’s settlements would stop open grazing by herdsmen. It also said that no fewer than 12 states had accepted the settlements in their areas.
The plan to establish the settlement in Benue recently generated controversy as some youths in the state protested against the Federal Government for allegedly allocating lands for the plan without the approval of the state government.
Terver Akase, the Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, berated the Federal Government for the move, saying that it was a plan by the Federal Government to make Nigerian states Fulani colonies.
Akase maintained that there would be no inch of Benue land for herders’ settlement, adding that the anti-open grazing law in Benue had already made such settlements impossible.
But Miyetti Allah has denied any ploy to colonise or control any state.
For Nuru, Ruga settlement was one of the vital issues that had been raised in this country to address farmers/herdsmen clashes and allegations of killings by some Fulani
herdsmen.
He warned against the rejection of the Ruga settlements, saying opposing its establishment might worsen the security situation in the country.
The MACBAN chieftain said, “Because herders love moving from one state to the other, if there is a settlement, it will limit their movement. It should be encouraged by every individual in Nigeria. It will restrict movement of cattle. It will encourage herders to be in a particular place.
“The animal sector is a very big sector in the agriculture ministry in Nigeria. Every year, government spends huge amount of money for farmers and give them insecticide and fertiliser. Why can’t government invest in the cattle sector? Why can’t the government invest in cattle rearing?
“This is not an expansionary move or ploy to take over lands and colonise people as they claimed. Let’s keep sentiments aside and work towards developing this county. Nobody will deprive you of your land. After all, you sell your lands to others. We have lands in the southern part of the country that are lawfully acquired and we should be allowed to develop it. So, if I can go to Enugu and they sell their land to me, then I should not be denied access to developing it. They are not helping us. A whole area is occupied by Igbos in Kano and Kaduna. Why would the Fulani herdsmen not be allowed to rear their animals in other states and settle in one place?”
On why Miyetti Allah opposed ranching of their cattle, Nuru said, “Cattle ranching is good but the problem is lack of continuity. If Buhari leaves, who will continue the cattle ranching policy? We are Nigerians and we should be allowed to move freely in any part of Nigeria. I know there are bad ones among herdsmen and they should be fished out.
“They (states) should allow us to settle in peace. A good number of Fulanis have been in the southern part of Nigeria for long, where are you pushing them to? Contrary to what people say, we are not the ones killing and kidnapping people. Go to the security agencies and get the data of people they arrested and count the Fulani herdsmen that are there. It’s all sentiment.
“I know there are criminal elements among Fulani herdsmen and we are fighting this menace. But the problem is the religious and tribal sentiments among Nigerians. Let us put religious and tribal sentiments apart and support this ruga settlement plan.”
On the claim by Akase that Federal Government was yet to also create settlements for farmers across the country, the MACBAN chairman in Plateau said, “How many farmers are looking for lands and moving about to settle like cattle rearers? It’s an abomination to abolish open grazing, driving them out to other States and causing problems. We should ask the Federal Ministry of Agriculture who allocated land for Ruga in Benue State.
Warning that banning open grazing might create more problems, Nuru said, “We are doing everything possible to establish either ranching or Ruga, so far we settle in a particular place. Let’s encourage herdsmen to settle in a particular place. I don’t know why Benue people are looking for the downfall of Fulani herdsmen.
“We are not rejecting ranching. We like ranching and it will give us more opportunity than Ruga, but the governor of Benue State didn’t listen to us. He is not giving us listening ears at all.
“We have to understand ourselves and give justice to everybody. Accommodate everybody. If you harass me, I will certainly be your enemy. Let’s have a roundtable discussion.”
