Benue rejects Fed Govt’s Ruga settlement for herdsmen

Benue State Government has rejected the Federal Government’s proposed Ruga settlement for herdsmen.

In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Terver Akase, drew the attention of those sponsoring the proposal to the state’s Anti-Open Grazing Prohibition Law and the need to obey it.

The statement reads: “It has become necessary to make the position of the government and people of Benue State abundantly clear on the Ruga settlement for herdsmen being implemented by the Federal Government across the states, including Benue.

“A few weeks ago, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture with his team in Benue State informed officials of the State Ministry of Agriculture that he had received directives from the ministry’s headquarters, Abuja, to establish Ruga, which means ‘Fulani settlement’ in parts of the state.

“The director stated that the local government areas selected for the Ruga settlements were Otukpo, Tarka and Ukum.

“The Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Agriculture drew the attention of the director and his team to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 being implemented in the state. When they were also reminded about the Land Use Act, which confers on the governor the powers to administer lands in all parts of the state, officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture left with a promise to relay the message to their headquarters.”

The governor’s media aide added: “They surprisingly returned a few days later with contractors to commence work on the Ruga settlements.

“We find the approach of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture not only as a gross violation of the ranching law, but also as an insult to the sensibilities of the entire people of Benue State.

“It could be recalled that the people and government of Benue State rejected cattle colonies and still reject the policy in whichever robes it is disguised.

Governor Samuel Ortom made the stand of Benue State known during the unveiling of the Livestock Development Programme in Abuja last year. He stressed that the state would embrace the policy only if it supports implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.”

The governor,  Akase said, also insisted that Benue State has no land for open grazing of cattle “and he restated ranching as a lasting solution to the incessant herders and farmers crisis, which the country ought to embrace”.

”We wish to remind those pushing for Ruga settlements that the constitution of the country gives states the right to make laws for the governance of their people. Any attempt to subvert such right is a direct attack on the constitution,” the governor’s media aide said.