No Land For Ruga In South-East, South-South, Says Umahi

Cat:

Related stories

[Video] Tragedy! UK Bound Air India Crashes, Over 204 Passengers Perish

By Abiola Olawale A catastrophic aviation disaster that happened on...

Seeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, Others

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Bola Tinubu on Thursday has stated...

Tinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New Parties

By Kolawole Ojebisi President Tinubu has denied stopping the Independent...

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi has said that there is no plan to establish Ruga settlement in any part of the South-East and South-South zones of Nigeria.

Umahi disclosed this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Emma Uzor, in Abakaliki on Sunday.

Umahi, chairman of the South-East Governors Forum’s reaction followed controversies and insinuations trailing Federal Government’s alleged plan for establishment of Ruga settlements in some states.

Umahi explained that the South-East zone did propose a deal with the members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) as panecea to achieving lasting peace between farmers and herdsmen.

He, however, denied any plans by governors of the zones to cede any part of their land for Ruga settlement.

He said: “There is no plan for any Ruga settlement in any part of South-East and South-South zones; but we made a proposed deal with MACBAN that can allow the zone to become very good business with sale of grasses to the herdsmen in exchange for meat.

“There will be no part of the South-East that will be given out for the purpose of establishment of Ruga, the zone is purely agrarian with limited landmass for farming and therefore can not accommodate Ruga establishment.

“We actually proposed a deal with MACBAN to take their cattle to the Northern parts where grazing reserves were established long time ago and rely completely on the grasses grown in the South for feeding of their cattle.”

Umahi, who was the Chairman of Technical Committee on Farmers and Herdsmen clash carved from the National Economic Council headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said that the committee had recommended the revamping of existing grazing reserve in Nigeria.

He said that revamping of the already existing grazing reserves in various parts of the North as recommended by the committee was to enable farmers have unhindered access to their farmlands while herdsmen rely solely on proceeds from the farmers.

Umahi was the Chairman of National Economic Council sub Technical Committee on farmers and herdsmen clash and he toured the states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Zamfara and others.

“Part of committee’s recommendations to the federal government was the revamping of grazing reserves in the North where all the cattle rearers in the South will take their cattle to these places and rely on the grasses that are grown in the South.

“The way it works is that the herdsmen will bring down their cows to the South-East and sell to us as meat while they will load the grasses which are grown here in the same vehicles with which they transported their cows to feed their cattle in those grazing reserve.

“With this proposed deal, herdsmen are expected to embrace anti open grazing by returning to the ranches in the North and do their business on the trade by barter basis of selling cows to the South and buying grass to feed their cows in the North.”

Umahi further called for tolerance among youths of various ethnic nationalities to solve the problem of hate speech.

He admonished Igbo youths on peaceful coexistence and urged them not to insult their leaders who were doing everything possible to protect them from any form of internal and external aggression.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
[Video] Tragedy! UK Bound Air India Crashes, Over 204 Passengers PerishTinubu Confers National Honours on Yar'Adua, Kudirat Abiola, Ayo Adebanjo, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Humphrey Nwosu, Soyinka, Sam Amuka, Ibru, OthersSeeing Opposition In Disarray Gives Me Pleasure, Tinubu Taunts PDP, LP, OthersTinubu Denies Stopping INEC From Registering New PartiesDemocracy Day: Peter Obi Slams Tinubu for Prioritizing Politics Over the Welfare of NigeriansJune 12: PDP Raises Alarm, Says APC Is Plotting to Impose “One-Party State” on NigeriaDangote Steps Down as Sugar Chairman After Two Decades of LeadershipDemocracy Day: Reject 'Thugs Masquerading As Leaders', Utomi Urges NigeriansHow Nigeria's Money Got Into Foreign Accounts During Abacha's Reign -- Al-MustaphaPanic As Air India Flight To UK With 242 Passengers Crashes Shortly After Take-offADDRESS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR AT THE JOINT SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY IN COMMEMORATION OF DEMOCRACY DAY, 2025The Complexities of DecisionsOshiomhole Breaks Silence on Viral Lagos Airport Clash with Air Peace StaffSEC Blasts CBEX Says it remains Banned in Nigeria, as Crypto Platform2027: Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai, Others Can't Unseat Tinubu, They're 'Bound To Fail' -- Wike
X whatsapp