By Anayo Okoli, Steve Oko, Ugochukwu Alaribe, Chimaobi Nwaiwu & Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU- SOME Igbo communities are currently in disagreement with their state governments over an alleged plot to establish RUGA in their areas. In Enugu State, the people of Nimbo in Uzo Uwani Council Area, have been protesting what they believe is a RUGA settlement being planned in their area by the state government. In Abia State, Aro-Ngwa people have rejected what they equally believe is RUGA being set up by the state government.

They claimed that such a settlement would endanger the lives of their people.

No South-East Gov should try that —Abia monarch

Reacting to this, a prominent monarch in Abia State, Eze Philip Ajomiwe, said he did not think any governor in the region would think of RUGA at a time when the people don’t even have land for farming. Ajomiwe, a renowned cassava farmer said: “Our governments should not be ignorant of RUGA. We don’t have enough land. We are looking for land to farm.

I don’t think any governor from the South-East will try that. Seven northern governors have banned the movement of foodstuffs from their states. We should be talking about providing land for our people to go back to agriculture as in the days of Dr. Michael Okpara. Our governors should rather encourage our people to return to farming and not for RUGA.”

RUGA in South-East is a deliberate provocative action —Prof. Igwe

A professor of political science, Obasi Igwe condemned any plots by any government in the region to build RUGA or cattle settlement.

He said such action would amount to a deliberate provocative decision against the people, and cautioned that no governor, traditional ruler, or any community leader should cede any land for such.

“RUGA settlements are neither a priority nor a welcome development anywhere in today’s Nigeria outside of the states that produce cattle and had long been advised to encourage modern ranching techniques.

Anyone reintroducing anything RUGA in the region is either being deliberately provocative or diversionary.”

It is invitation to anarchy and insecurity —Igbo youths

Speaking to this, Igbo youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South-East Youth Leaders, C O S E Y L , rejected the idea, saying: “There is no land for RUGA anywhere in the South-East.” N a t i o n a l President of C O S E Y L , Comrade Goodluck Ibem, said Igbo youths would not a c c e p t donations of any land in any part of Igbo land for c a t t l e settlement.

He said: “There is no land for RUGA in the South-East. In the South-East, we don’t give land to private businesses. If the government is giving land for RUGA, it then means everybody in the South-East should be given land for his private business.

“Anybody trying to donate land for RUGA is inviting insecurity which we have been trying to stop. Doing so amounts to an invitation for anarchy and lawlessness. It is an invitation for more killings of our indigenous people, and we cannot accept it. Our people have been killed enough,” COSEYL said.

Nwokeabia cautions Enugu Government A political leader in Enugu State, Dr. John Nwokeabia in his reaction said: “There is uproar ongoing in Uzo-Uwani Council of Enugu State concerning an alleged planned ranch/RUGA settlement by the Government of Enugu State. I read somewhere where Enugu Government has dismissed such rumours of the RUGA settlement. They said the planned move is intended for ranching purposes. No matter the best intentions of the government, if the people the project is directly affected are not part of decision-making at any stage; resistance is inevitable.

Effective communication and stakeholder engagement is important. “The massacre by marauding Fulani herdsmen in Nimbo town a few years ago is still fresh in our minds. The security situation in that local government is still dicey, much more when the town borders Kogi State. Implementing a RUGA/ Ranching policy now in Uzo- Uwani is not a good strategy. I implore Governor Mba’s administration to temporarily suspend this project and engage the people to find a lasting solution to the criminal activities of cattle herders who have killed their people and devastated their farmlands,” he advised.

Let governors start from their communities —Okolo, victim of herdsmen destruction

Chief Johnson Okolo, who had a huge investment in agriculture at Amofia Agu, Affa in Udi Council Area of Enugu State that was allegedly destroyed by herdsmen, who also took over the land, advised against any plan to set up cattle settlement for the herders in any name.

According to Okolo, “Since it is not South-East governments or Enugu State Government that owns the ranches that are being planned, it is RUGA. Enugu State or any state in the South-East planning to secure land for ranching is simply planning to set up RUGA.

The governors should not try to solve a problem with a problem. “Giving herdsmen any land for RUGA or ranching is simply inviting trouble. South-East governors, in particular, Enugu State Government should run away from it. “I am a victim, l lost over 6,000 palm trees in my plantation in Amofia Agu Affa in Udi Council of Enugu State to Fulani herdsmen who destroyed the palm plantation and took over the place for over four years now. I haven’t gone to my palm plantation in my community for the past four years because herdsmen have taken over the plantation as a settlement. “The governors should face the senseless insecurity ravaging the region.

They should work towards disarming herdsmen who use guns to scare away the landowners in the region. The people of the South-East can rear cows and cattle; we can manage cows ourselves. Enugu or any government should buy cows for their people to rear. People are ready, set up ranches for them, they will do better and secure lives.” Abia Govt. says no plan to establish RUGA Abia State Government has however, denied the plan of a RUGA at Aro-Ngwa, in Isiala Ngwa South Council Area.

They said that they are building a trailer park. The government’s clarification followed a series of protests by the Aro-Ngwa community who alleged that the state government was planning to establish RUGA on their land. However, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Chaka Chukwumerije, explained that the state government is not clearing the land at Aro-Ngwa for RUGA, but is collaborating with the Federal Government for the construction of a trailer park. “The project is meant to decongest traffic around Osisioma Ngwa roundabout; Umuika junction and Owerrinta bridge areas as well as generate revenue for the state. It has nothing to do with RUGA as alleged. It is a standard trailer park; it is not a settlement, but a place of business,” the commissioner explained.

Enugu Govt. denies plan to establish Ruga settlement in Nimbo

Enugu State Government has also denied claims that it plans to establish a RUGA settlement in Nimbo. The government, however, admitted that it was planning to establish modern ranches as part of its agroindustrial productivity agenda, which it said would help curb the activities of kidnappers and other criminals who masquerade as herders.

The Commissioner for Information, Aka Eze Aka, who explained the government’s position said it is “a good initiative of government to use the ranch to further stem the tide of kidnapping and clashes between our border people and the herders.” “Enugu State Government is not engaging in any RUGA project in any part of the state and shall not do so. The ranch is not RUGA. “It has become necessary to explain matters regarding the design to use ranching, a modern method all over the world, to rear cattle. The recent viral messages and outcry of a few persons against what they construed as government intention to take over a portion of land in Uzo-Uwani LGA and give it out to the Fulani in the guise of RUGA is the unfortunate machination of those who wish to make a mountain out of molehill for political reasons.

“The intention of government is clear on the matter. Armed bandits and kidnappers in the name of herders have long taken advantage of our forests and farmlands to commit heinous crimes, abductions, rape, and killings. The Government of Enugu State has resolved to put a stop to these and introduce ranching, the most modern way of rearing cattle. “When established, no cattle herder or dealer shall be allowed to roam non-designated areas with their animals for grazing.”

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