IF STATES WERE AUTONOMOUS: RUGA SETTLEMENT WAS AFFRONT!

ZION B-BC   NEWSLETTER.  

(Looking at Nigeria's Political System From a Godly Perspective).

A Publication of the Zion Faith Bible-Believing Church Kpeyegyi Abuja Nigeria {Vol. 8.NO 308. 7th July, 2019.} “…ONLY The Truth, Will Set You   Free! (John.8:32).

IF STATES WERE AUTONOMOUS: RUGA SETTLEMENT WAS AFFRONT!

NIGERIANS can again enjoy a fresh breath of air following Federal Government's decision to suspend the controversial RUGA Settlement Plan which it proposed to alleviate the aggravated herders/farmers clashes but bungled by incompetent official marketers who failed to disseminate the document's well-intended content in a universally-acceptable language to all stakeholders!

The proposal was greeted with misconception/public outcry instead of applause and totally condemned by most Nigerians, except by some Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) who have given 30 days ultimatum to the Federal Government to rescind its decision or SOUTHERN non-indigenes be faced with QUIT ORDERS from their territory as they did in August, 2017!

Although cattle rearing is big business and generates lots of revenue into the national coffers, it had attracted lots of security challenges which government could not afford to overlook and should not allow to rubbish all economic gains recorded by President Buhari's APC Change Administration in the past FOUR years through the mismanagement of a good idea that turned sour!
Should the lives of Nigerian citizens be sacrificed to protect mere animals which only exist to satisfy human economic needs and consumption?

Will the Federal Government ever get its act right over this very sensitive issue which has thrown up tribal, religious, nepotic sentiments, connotations/interpretations because the President's public relations officers bungled the advocacy of the RUGA idea which came out of the blues to confuse Nigerians who neither understood the nomenclature nor the real purpose/intention of the administration?

Some said that RUGA, translated to mean "Fulani Settlement", was the President's hidden agenda to "fulanise" Nigeria, since such settlements were proposed to be established in all 36 States of the Federation, without similar provisions for the FARMERS whose lands were being destroyed by nomadic Fulani’s cattle, but government said that RUGA was for every Nigerian whose vocation is animal husbandry, irrespective of tribe, State or language!

NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL (NEC), PROPOSED NATIONAL LIVESTOCK TRANSFORMATION PLAN!
Following a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), of 18th January, 2019, chaired by the Vice President, Prof. 'Yemi Osinbajo, the establishment of a National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), was proposed to encourage RANCHING and mitigate the escalating crisis between pastoralists and farmers. NLTP was open to all interested States without compulsion to Governors who have opted to enact the Anti-Open Grazing Law to solve the imbroglio.

But a statement on 2nd July, 2019, from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the acronym of the proposed plan of government was "RUGA", and not "NLTP" adding that it was just a matter of semantics; a position that was diametrically opposed to the Vice President's statement! The NLTP which was backed by ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments since 2005, would have attracted at least N2 trillion naira to the economy if there had been consensus among all States in the implementation process!

MILITATING FACTOR OF THE LAND USE ACT OF NIGERIA!
The Constitution of the Federal Republic, 1999, confers on State Governors, the right to adjudicate over land matters but also allows the Federal Government to acquire land in any part of the country through due process according to the Land Use Act. Chapter 202 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, of the Act is relevant in this respect; but it must be noted that the law emanated from an unfriendly Military Decree, signed into law on 27th March, 1978, during the tenure of retired General Aremu Obasanjo! Therefore Governors cannot be forced to part with State lands by the Federal Government, except by mutual agreement!

IN THESE TRYING TIMES, BEING A NIGERIAN FULANI PRESIDENT COULD BE VERY TASKING!
Of all Nigerian Heads of State, military or democratic, none had shown more patriotism and love for the downtrodden like President Muhammadu Buhari. His love for the under-privileged/poor masses, popularly called, "Talakawas", could only be rivalled by late NORTHERN ELEMENTS PROGRESSIVE UNION (NEPU). Leader, Mallam Aminu Kano, of blessed memory. When Buhari could not succeed to sanitize the socio-economic life of Nigerians as a military Head of State, he was elected after three failed attempts to eventually become the democratic president from 2015, through divine intervention!
When the Fulani herders/farmers clashes escalated on his assumption of office in the first term, the social media attributed the audacious/puff-headed attitude of Fulani’s to the fact that their kinsman became the numero uno citizen, of the country and would protect their selfish interests!
Sandwiched between the Red Sea and the Pharaoh's Army, President Buhari brainstormed with his advisers, security/economic teams to first introduce COLONY Settlements in all States of the Federation to contain nomadic movements of the Fulani’s and their animals!
The Scheme was aborted because it was virtually opposed from the proposal stage by most Governors and their citizens except for some Northern States and the confrontations between the two camps escalated to murderous proportions which resulted in loss of several lives to further aggravate/compound security challenges of Boko Haram insurgency in the North East, and overstretch operational engagements of the security forces!
In his quest to finding a lasting solution to the compounded security challenges, the President and his team suggested the RUGA Settlement Plan, which also turned out to be unpopular, because  government failed to employ massive articulate advocacy that would have convinced all and sundry of the sincerity of the administration in proffering permanent solution to the incessant clashes once and for all!

SHOULD IT NOT BE RANCHING INSTEAD OF RUGA? THE WAY FORWARD!
Global nations - including Nigeria's West African neighbours which are also into animal rearing do not record human casualties through herders/farmers constant clashes because their pastoralists and cattle are ranched - not nomadic! A RANCH is a  large area of land equipped with multiple structural facilities needed to raise livestock - especially cattle - and is actually similar to RUGA or CATTLE COLONY and should be improvised  through consensus between Federal and State governments to alleviate incessant bloodshed between the herdsmen and farmers, permanently!
The Nigerian experience which is a complete opposite of what obtains in other climes, needed to be quickly addressed now that President Buhari has been given a second chance  by the electorate to turn the security/economic fortunes this great nation around for the citizens to dwell in peace together in spite of tribal diversity.
Before the controversial RUGA Plan, there was the CATTLE COLONIES Programme earlier mooted by the Federal Government as A ONE STOP SHOPPING MALL where all basic necessities/amenities of stakeholders ( provender, grass, water, health facilities, schools, markets) etc, which government believed would keep the offending animals off other people's farms and green pastures! BUT the people cried against RE-COLONIZATION of Nigeria by the FULANIS! Thereafter, some dissenting State Governors proclaimed the Anti- Open Grazing Law to solve the challenge in the best way suitable to them!

DID BENUE AND EKITI GET IT RIGHT?
It is on record that Benue State, farmers and citizens in North Central Nigeria were viciously attacked by Fulani herders when the Governor proclaimed the Anti-Open Grazing law inspite of the threat of non-compliance by the MIYETTI-ALLAH CATTLE BREEDERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (MACBAN) and their herders resident in the State, and scores of lives lost! Though they denied the attack, evidences were adduced by government to prove that they were culpable!
In spite of the mayhem inflicted on innocent citizens, the association headed to the Court in 2017 to challenge the anti-grazing law, but in a judgement of Thursday, 4th July, 2019, lost the case with costs awarded against them!
Ekiti State, South West Nigeria, which also proclaimed a similar law, had close shave of atrocities from the branch of the Cattle Association, until several moves of conflict resolutions were organised to douse tension!
EL RUFAI'S PAYMENT TO FOREIGN FULANI HERDSMEN AND PMB'S CLAIM THAT HERDSMEN INVADERS WERE FOREIGNERS FROM LIBYA/NIGER: are confirmations that FOREIGN FULANI’S ARE CULPABLE FOR THE MAYHEM AND NOT THEIR NIGERIAN COUNTERPARTS! BUT WHO CONTRACTED THEM? BECAUSE THE CASUALTIES WERE MOSTLY FARMERS AND NOT FULANI’S!
NIGERIA'S POROUS BORDERS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO BE SHUT AGAINST RAVAGING BANDITS BY THE PRESIDENT who instructed that modern technology be employed by security agencies to stop further illegal migration of foreigners into Nigeria!
THE SUREST WAY FORWARD IS - RANCHING AS WE HAD ALWAYS ADVOCATED!

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psa 133:1)

Please look forward to more divine revelation in the next edition of Zion B-BC Newsletter as you share this with friends and remain blessed in the Lord. [For weekly access, to this newsletter, log on to:  facebook.com/zionfaithbible.believingchurch or http://www.zfbbc1.blogspot.com, https://www.google.com/+zionfaithbiblebelievingchurch.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, don’t miss this great opportunity as you pray this prayer: Lord Jesus; I confess that I am a sinner who needs to be saved through the grace of the New Testament of your Blood, shed on the Cross at Calvary; I renounce every sin in my life and accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please forgive me and write my name in the Book of Life. Amen. If you prayed this prayer, you have been admitted into the family of sons and daughters of God, who are born-again. Congratulations.

I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, Resident Pastor and Editor. 08130669886, 08098194390.  08080243066. G-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.