…it’s not true, VP not supervising Ruga plan – Presidency
The General Secretary of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Baba Uthman Ngelzarma, says Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo’s office is helping the herdsmen to create Ruga settlements across the country.
Ngelzerma boasted that when the programme has been successfully completed, Nigerians would fully enjoy the benefits of animal husbandry.
The settlement secretary said this on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.
Southern socio-cultural groups including Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo; as well as the Middle Belt Forum have all rejected the Ruga initiative.
However, Ngelzerma said not only Fulani men were herders, adding that herdsmen of all tribes would benefit.
He said, “This Ruga settlement model is a component part of the livestock development and transformation plan that is being implemented under the Office of the Vice-President. It is a component part of it.
All must agree with me that the crisis we are facing today has become a multi-dimensional one and so the approach must also be holistic. It was the desire of the Federal Government to take a holistic approach that gave birth to the Ruga settlement model and it is not only for Fulani herders.
“In southern Kaduna, there are natives who are also herders. Even in Plateau, there are other groups that are herders. It was intended for the herders as part of efforts by the government to come up with an economic model of solving this crisis.”
“This is an integrated settlement that will bring about the production of pasture grass, water, schools, markets, meat and milk processing and where it can create a sub-sector of the economy. This is something that if done properly, it will create a lot of employment.”
He urged Nigerians to support the model and give peace a chance even as he claimed that only states that approved of the model would have Ruga settlements.
However, in a swift reaction, the Office of the Vice-President, in a statement signed by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said the scheme was not under the supervision of the vice president.
“Contrary to claims reported in sections of the media, the establishment of Ruga settlements is not being supervised by the Office of the Vice President,” Akande said.
According to the Vice president, the Federal Government will not impose the planned scheme on any State government.
“The Ruga initiative is different from the National Livestock Transformation Plan approved by State governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo,” Akanda stated.
“NEC on January 17, 2019, approved the plan based on the recommendations of a Technical Committee of the Council chaired by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State. Other State Governors on the committee and Working Group of NEC are those from Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Oyo & Zamfara – mostly the frontline States in the Farmer-Herder crises.
“The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 is a programme to be implemented in 7 pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara (as decided by NEC in January), being States in the frontlines of the Farmer-Herder crises. Afterwards, six other States have indicated readiness to also implement the plan. They are Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo states.
“The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market-oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
“The six key pillars include: economic investment, conflict resolution, justice and peace, humanitarian relief and early recovery, human capital development and cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.
“In all the Federal Government will not impose on any State government regarding its land,” the statement clarified.
