We can’t accommodate RUGA’ in South-East, South-South – Gov Umahi

Uche EmmanuelJuly 1, 2019

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The South East governor’s forum led by the governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. David Umahi has categorically joined other political zones in the country to denied members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) of having Ruga settlement in the zone.

Umahi insisted that the zone including the South South have no plan for any Ruga settlement.

He however charged members of MACBAN to accept anti-grazing law established long time ago by the federal government in the northern region.

He cited that South East as agrarian region is faced with limited landmass and cannot accommodate any Ruga settlement. This were contained in a statement issued by the state governor and was made available to Journalists by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel Uzor on Sunday in Abakiliki.

Umahi however reminded the Federal government to also follow the recommendations reached by the Technical Committee on Farmers and Herdsmen clash carved from the federal Economic council which he served so as to end the persistent herders and farmers clash in some states. He maintained that both members of MACBAN and the South East would achieve symbiotic trade of cow and grass.

“The zone is purely agrarian with limited landmass for farming and therefore can not accommodate Ruga.

“Umahi was the Chairman of NEC sub Technical Committee on farmers and herdsmen clash and he toured the states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Zamfara and two other states where he made in one of his recommendations to the federal government for revamping of grazing reserve in the North where all the cattle rearers in the South will take their cattle to and rely on the grass that are grown in the South”.

“The way it works is that the herdsmen will bring down their cows to the South East and sell us as meat while they will load the grasses which are grown here in the same trailer with which they transported their cows to feed their cattle in those grazing reserve which should be made comfortable for them.

“By this herdsmen are expected to embrace anti open grazing by returning to the ranches in the North and do their business on the trade by barter basis of selling cows to the South and buying grass to feed their cows in the North”, he insisted.

He further called for tolerance among youths of various ethnic nationalities to solve the problem of hate speech essentially among Igbo youths