Following the growing controversy about RUGA settlements – understood by many to be a proposed land settlement plan by the Federal Government for cattle herders in all states of the federation, a policy analyst, Ose Anenih with Twitter handle @papadonkee has written extensively about the issue while responding to the tweet by Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili’s inquest into the matter.
Ose Anenih narrates that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had recommended a National Livestock Transformation plan (NLTP) to the FG, but was obviously replaced by what is now known as RUGA where state governments would have to offer lands to the project.
This becomes controversial because the land use act confers state land rights to state Governors and not FG, except ones that are for specific FG projects in the exclusive list like railways, federal universities, etc.
VP Osinbajo has in a statement last week distanced himself from Ruga.
The Office of the Vice President says the establishment of Ruga settlements is not being supervised by the office, contrary to claims in the media.
Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, dismissed the reports in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
The initiative has been rejected by some governors and many Nigerians have kicked against the plan, which they say amounts to land grabbing for herders.
Mr Osinbajo’s office said the initiative is different from the National Livestock Transformation Plan approved by state governors under the auspices of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by the vice president.
Mr Akande said that NEC on January 17 approved the plan based on the recommendations of a Technical Committee of the Council chaired by Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.
He said that other state governors in the committee and Working Group of NEC were those from Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Taraba, Edo, Plateau, Oyo and Zamfara – “mostly the frontline states in the farmer-herder crises”.
“The National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP) 2019-2028 is a programme to be implemented in seven pilot states of Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara as decided by NEC in January, being states in the frontlines of the farmer-herder crisis.
“Afterwards, six other states have indicated readiness to also implement the plan; they are Katsina, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, and Edo states.
“The plan has six pillars through which it aims to transform the livestock production system in Nigeria along market oriented value chain while ensuring an atmosphere of peace and justice.
“The six key pillars include-economic investment, conflict resolution, justice and peace, humanitarian relief and early recovery, human capital development.
“Others are cross-cutting issues such as gender, youth, research and information and strategic communication.
“In all, the Federal Government will not impose on any state government regarding its land,” he said.
See Oby’s tweet inquiring about RUGA below:
In swift response, the policy analyst, Ose Anenih gave a breakdown of the whole issue from inception to date.
See his thread below:
