There are indications that the Federal Government will spend the N2.26bn earlier allocated for grazing reserves in the 2019 budget on the controversial Ruga settlements.
Herald Nigeria also learnt that the Fulani settlements will be in every part of the country and not only in 11 states.
The immediate past Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, had set the motion on wheels in May when he announced that Buhari approved the Ruga settlement initiative.
Ogeh said, “Just 10 days ago President Muhammadu Buhari approved a programme called the Ruga settlement. We are going to build settlements where herders will live, grow their cattle and produce milk. The milk will be bought by a milking palour thus preventing their wives from moving around with milk. This is especially to avert any conflict between the herders and the farmers.”
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An official of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, who spoke with ThePunch, noted that:, “Generally, it is a policy conceived by the Federal Government to cover the entire country. But the government decided to discuss it with the states and said states that are willing should indicate interest.
“Of course, the Federal Government is going to carry the states that are interested along. It is mainly between the Federal Government and the interested states, discussions are still ongoing and we can’t give a final figure on funding now.
He, however, said, “we are surprised at the political undertone that this issue is having. Why will a group from Benue stage a protest that government wants to invade their land?”
Also The Permanent Secretary, FMARD, Mohammed Umar, on Tuesday said security personnel known as agro-rangers would provide security at the Ruga settlements.
He said, “Already state and local governments are buying into the initiative. Many states have indicated interest. They have been coming to the ministry and stated their interest to join to ensure that we set up Ruga settlements in their states so that their nomads will have a place. They will also have cattle markets and modern abattoirs in their states.”