FG Not Acquiring Lands for Ruga Projects – TheNigerialawyer

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.

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.”