The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum, SMBLF, has raised alarm, over alleged plans by the Federal Government to repeal the Land Use Act and take over the control of lands from state governors.
The aim of the plan, according to the forum, is to enable the government to subsequently implement the suspended RUGA project.
The forum made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday signed by its spokespersons, Yinka Odumakin (South-West), Prof. Chigozie Ogbu (South-East), Senator Bassey Henshaw (South-South) and Dr Isuwa Dogo (Middle-Belt).
They said reliable information at their disposal revealed that the Federal Government suspended the RUGA settlement programme due to the Act which restricted its access to land. The group claimed that the government might move to repeal the law in order to facilitate the implementation of RUGA.
The statement read in part, “It is being alleged that there will be moves to repeal the Land Use Act in the (Ruga) suspension period so the Federal Government can have authority over land which is currently under the states.
“We therefore call on all our members in the National Assembly to be vigilant about any surreptitious bill that may be introduced to tamper with control of land and thwart such without any waste of time. The 2014 National Conference debated this issue at length and resolved to retain the Land Use Act in the constitution.”
Furthermore, the group cautioned the lawmakers against passing the ‘Bill to establish a Regulatory Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria,’ sponsored by the executive, noting that it was meant to give the Federal Government the sole authority and control over the nation’s rivers and underground water.
“When this obnoxious Water Bill is taken alongside the Ruga programme and the speculated assault on Land Use Act, the internal colonialism agenda is complete.
“It is pertinent to ask why the Federal Government is not going ahead with Ruga in some northern states that have accepted the policy if the whole idea was not about land-grabbing in the South and Middle Belt states.
“The whole policy has equally opened our eyes to the reason why the President has been harping on local government autonomy now and then,” the SMBLF stressed.
The group insisted that it was not impressed by the suspension of the RUGA settlement project, which it declared as “an expansionist agenda on behalf of the Fulani nomads.”
