To curb open grazing and its attendant disadvantages, the Enugu State Government has resolved to establish a ranch in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
The government’s decision however generated public outcry accusing them of cunningly pandering to RUGA policy instead of utilizing such lands for other agricultural purposes.
“Establishing a ranch and handing it over to Fulani herders amounts to setting up a Fulani colony in your state. This is RUGA v2. You can paint it in more romancing colours as you like but it is RUGA alright.”
“Why can’t Enugu use the land to set up an industrial agricultural estate, and bring in corporate and multinational investors to establish pig, goat, fish & poultry farms in these areas? Why set up a biz that will be solely for non-indigenes many of whom will be Fulani from the Sahel who don’t pay tax and carry AK47?” Ebere Anosike tweets @NjaCoach.
Anosike like many other critics of the government’s move to establish a ranch in the state calls on the state government to evaluate the plan carefully as such a move requires support infrastructure and systems or it becomes a menace in waiting; nomadic education, healthcare facilities, etc.
However, the state government maintains she plans to establish a ranch in Uzo-Uwani LGA, not RUGA as the public insinuates.
A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Aka Eze Aka states;
“RANCH IS NOT RUGA: The attention of the government has been drawn to insinuations and utter misrepresentation by some individuals of the good initiative of the government to use the ranch to stem the tide of kidnapping and clashes between our border people and the herders. Enugu State Government is not engaging in any RUGA project in any part of the state and shall not do so.”
“The recent viral messages and outcry of a few persons against what they construed as government intention to take over a portion of land in Uzo-Uwani LGA and give out to Fulanis in the guise of RUGA is but the unfortunate machination of those who wished to make a mountain out of molehill because of political reasons.”
“The intention of government is clear on the matter. Armed bandits and kidnappers in the name of herders have long taken advantage of our forests and farmland to commit heinous crimes, abduction, rape, and killings. The government of Enugu State has resolved to put a stop to these and introduce ranching, the most modern way of rearing cattle.”
Commissioner Aka further stated, “When established, no cattle herder or dealer shall be allowed to roam non-designated areas with their animals for grazing. The state government therefore is resolved to strictly implement the laws against open grazing in any part of the state.”
“As a result, specific areas designated for grazing shall be created, managed, and held in trust by the government. It is the idea of government to build modern abattoir around each ranch from where all processing of meat etc. are to take place before sale to other parts of the state.”
“Consequently, all cattle movement transported from the northern part of the country stops at the ranch for proper inspection and revenue build-up. The government cannot allow fabulists and political manipulators to take advantage of social media to work the people into a frenzy against government programmes and projects. Our people are called upon to closely understand the good intentions of government and know that Ranch is not RUGA.”
The RUGA policy was developed by the National Livestock Transformation Plan under the Nigeria Economy Council to curb the conflict between farmers and Fulani herdsmen.
The Government of Nigeria, under former President Muhammad Buhari, a Fulani, attempted to implement the policy but was kicked against by southerners.
RUGA stands for Rural Grazing Area Policy.
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