The Presidency has expressed disappointment at recent criticisms of its proposed plan to set up RUGA Settlements across the country.
The federal government had proposed the settlements as a way of curbing the incessant clashes between herders and farmers.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, noted that beneficiaries of the RUGA Settlement would include “all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.”
He noted also that the settlements would come with other benefits such as job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.
According to him, the Federal Government had no plans to seize state land or force any state governments to embrace the scheme.
“The Federal Government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders.
“The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers.
“A boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.”
“Stripped of the politics and howling that has attended the recent comments, there is no government plan to seize state land, colonize territory or impose Ruga on any part of the federation.
“Government has made it clear time and again that the programme is voluntary,” he said.
Furthermore, the Presidential aide disclosed that 12 states had already applied to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, making lands available for the take-off of the scheme in their states.
He accused state governments which were not on the invitation list of championing the campaign against the programme with misleading information that the federal government was trying to take state land away.
“Unfortunately, some state governments that have not signified interest in the scheme and, therefore, are not on the invitation list have been misleading people that the Federal Government is embarking on a scheme to take away their lands.
“Mostly, these are state leaders that have no explanation to offer their people for continued non-payment of workers’ salaries.
“It is true that government at the centre has gazetted lands in all states of the federation, but because the idea is not to force this programme on anyone, the government has limited the take-off to the dozen states with valid requests.
