A former Special Assistant to the Benue State government on Herdsmen, Shehu Tambaya, has warned that establishing Ruga, a Fulani settlement in the state at this time could deepen the crisis situation.
Tambaya who stated this while speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi, urged the federal government to drop the idea totally.
He suggested that the federal government should rather engage in building the trust between herdsmen and farmers to enable the herdsmen respect the anti open grazing law of the state urging the federal government to support the state government on the law so as to build the trust between the herders and farmers and not to aggravate an already bad situation by establishing Ruga settlement in the state.
Tambaya said it would be better for the federal government to first address the issues surrounding the herders-farmers clashes in Benue state before any such venture.
The former S.A. on Herdmen stated that till now, thousands of those who were displaced by the herdsmen attacks were still in IDP camps and afraid to return back home.
He also stated that the federal government ought to look into the issue of security with a view to ensuring that the displaced persons return to their ancestral home.
“There is the need for the confidence of the people to be built and assurances given that there wouldn’t be any trouble between herdsmen and farmers before such settlement can be established in the state. For now, that confidence us not there.
“The federal government should give Benue state enough time and also consider the fact that there is an anti grazing law in place in the state. We are not saying herdsmen cannot come and do business in Benue, but the right channel needs to be followed and that is, they must ranch their cows.”
