The decision of the Federal Government to finally implement the unpopular RUGA policy for herdsmen, inspite of the recent public outrage over the vexing issue, is shocking and leaves a sour taste in the mouth of Nigerians.
Last weekend, the Presidency unabashedly announced that the Federal Government had actually earmarked a whopping N2.25 billion for the establishment of Ruga settlements in the 2019 budget.
And contrary to earlier claims, it also said the RUGA settlements policy was discussed and agreed upon at a meeting of the National Economic Council with state governors in attendance, wondering why some governors would deny knowledge of the decision.
But at the height of the controversy generated then by the RUGA policy, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is the chairman of NEC had, through his spokesman, Laolu Akande, said that the issue of Ruga was never discussed at the NEC. Similarly, some governors, who are members of NEC, also said there was no time RUGA was discussed during their meetings and wondered how the Federal Government came about it.
It was, however, gathered that the RUGA policy was a brain child of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, aimed at reducing incessant clashes between farmers and herders.
Due to the controversy the policy generated then, President Muhammadu Buhari had directed that the policy be suspended.
But while receiving students of Akwa Ibom State extraction from the Law School in Abuja, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, disclosed that N2.258 billion was actually provided for the implementation of the Ruga programme in the 2019 budget.
Enang also advised state governors, especially those from the southern part of the country, to embrace and support the programme by making lands available for its implementation.
The president’s aide cited the 2019 federal budget, Volume 1 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development item number ERGP 5208, where the sum of N2.258 billion was provided and budgeted for the RUGA programme.
He also maintained that National Assembly members were not against the Ruga programme because they were aware of it and had approved funds for its implementation, adding that the objective of the budget for Ruga was to promote cattle breeding and meat production.
Enang had added that the programme was an integrated farming system, which had schools, good road, tractors and mechanisation, as well as agricultural integration, with provisions for primary healthcare, veterinary clinics and schools.
He, however, disclosed that in addition to the budgeted sum for Ruga in the 2019 expenditure, there was another sum provided for emergency Ruga implementation programme approved in May by the National Economic Council for states that would make land available.
The fact that the President Buhari administration is hell-bent on pleasing the herdsmen raises a lot of questions now begging for answers. From the blues, RUGA became the major policy thrust of the Federal Government, without adequate consideration and consultation with critical stakeholders. The earlier rejection and outright backlash that greeted the plan to implement RUGA were clear indications that the policy is completely alien to the Nigerian people. How its implementation will address the critical issues bedeviling the country today remains to be seen.
Critics are of the opinion that the vigour and desperation being exhibited by the government concerning the project gives room to the suspicion that RUGA is a decoy to perfect the imposition of Fulani domination over Nigerians from the other sections of the country.
We wonder why the obsession to create herdsmen’s settlements when the country’s highways are now being terrorised, according to victims, by suspected Fulani herdsmen, who kidnap travellers and even kill those whose relations fail to raise the ransom demanded.
Inspite of this, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association has continued to talk tough in support of the Buhari administration’s RUGA plan, threatening national security by their provocative statements, but without being cautioned by President Buhari, who is their life patron.
It is surprising that the Buhari administration has yet to give consideration to the offer by the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, to provide adequate land and facilities to accommodate all herdsmen for the development of integrated cattle ranches, which would support an economic value chain for slaughtering, packaging and effective distribution of beef and dairy products across the country. The Kano governor has also noted that Ruga should only be implemented in states where the Fulani are indigenes.
For many Nigerians, Ruga is not just about another bad government policy, it is about their survival in the country. Ruga, to them, is a misplaced priority. It is another conduit to siphon government and public funds. It is, therefore, pertinent to ask if RUGA is the only option to address the herders/farmers’ clash. It is a known fact that access to water and grazing areas have been at the heart of the perennial violence between farmers and herders.
We believe that government should rather have focused on strengthening Nomadic education, which has long collapsed. The Fulani need education more than this controversial RUGA settlement. Government should also turn attention to the recovery of cattle routes.
Discerning Nigerians will continue to question why such a huge amount of money should be budgeted for the implementation of the Ruga policy, instead of being expended on improving the important sectors of the economy that are suffering from poor funding.
We wonder why the humongous amount of money that the FG has budgeted for the unpopular project can’t be put in the education or health sector. As a matter of fact, cattle -rearing is a private business and so it cannot be forced on states, as all the states don’t have to rear cows. This is truly a complete misplacement of priority.
FG’s RUGA policy is nepotistic in nature, as it will only benefit herders in a situation where the entire country continues to wallow in deplorable lack of infrastructure in education, health, road network, among others.
While the administration has failed in its promises to provide infrastructure and social amenities, including schools, water and electricity for the generality of Nigerians, it is disheartening that it is going ahead to provide such at the RUGA settlements to be inhabited by herdsmen. This is the height of nepotism and clannishness. Yet, the Federal Government continues to pretend not to be aware of the endemic rot in the nation’s educational institutions and the pandemic decay pervading its health sector. The 2019 budget falls short of allocating the 26 percent of the total budget to education as recommended by UNESCO, yet the RUGA policy would be gulping such a huge chunk of the same budget.
What Nigerians urgently need now is for the Federal Government to fix the country’s deplorable roads and get its broken down infrastructure working. The Federal Government should rather focus on addressing the critical issues regarding the revival of the country’s critically ailing economy and decadent society. The fight against corruption is not yielding the desired result. Education, health, electricity, water, security, infrastructure, and the enabling environment for business to thrive are all seriously begging for attention.
There is also the urgent need for the Federal Government to organise a national stakeholders’ conference on security and the way forward because many Nigerians are apprehensive of the current worsening spate of insecurity. This has become imperative in order to avoid a situation where people would be left with no other option than to resort to self-help, while the government fiddles with the most banal issues.
