RUGA SETTLEMENT
The trending proposal of the Federal Government to establish Ruga settlements in the 36 states of the Federation, exclusively, for the Fulanis, has not only raised dust in the country but also, almost, turned the country into a shape not well known.
And what is Ruga, to start with?
Ruga! Ruga!! Ruga!!!
Ruga is a rebranded name for Fulani Cattle Colony (Colonies), where the settlements to be established, is expected to contain and accommodate the herdsmen, their cattle/livestock, religious and normal houses, schools, roads, power and water supply and everything available in a standard state, including, an ultra-modern Local Government Areas. It sounds funny, yet, it is not. Meanwhile, with the Ruga settlements, guess what will become of Nigeria…? Automatic Islamization is the answer, which happens to be the will of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation(President Buhari).
A short visitation to Wikipedia summarization of Fulani: Fula people or the Fulani, also referred to as _Hilani_ by the Hausas, are primarily Muslim people scattered throughout many parts of the West Africa, from Lake Chad, in the East to the Atlantic coast, Mali, Cameroon, Senegal and Niger, and that this people number between 38 to 40million and are considered one of the most important ethnic groups inside the sahel and west africa, widely dispersed throughout the place. Results have shown that the highest settlement is mainly in West Africa and Northern parts of Central Africa living in Nigeria(15, 311, 000 people).
The game as planned is to establish not just one cattle colony, but about six(6) of them in each state in the name of resolving the crisis or whatever problem between the farmers and herdsmen in the country.
With this number, you will know what to say Islamization, is an understatement of what is meant here. And we are talking about Islamizing Christian Religious states like the South East and South South zones.
Now, tell me or the whole world:Â How will it look like and what happens to Christianity?
The questions can multiply and never end:
Why not Christianize Northern or Islamic zones?
Particularly, on the other hand, why not Igbonize, Yorubalize, Deltanize, Civilize, Edonize, Efikinize or do anything else to Nigeria instead of Ruga?
Citing the words of a great hero, Professor Wole Soyinka, in the Punch Newspaper of Wed 3rd, July 2019, he warned the Federal Government on Tuesday about the Ruga Settlement, saying that it could spark an explosion in the country. He also noted that Ruga project is not the best way to resolve the clash between the herdsmen and farmers.
Punch also noted that the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, made a public rejection of the Ruga settlement.
In the same vein, following the statement of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, through his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, the Governor said there are other means of creating Peaceful co-existence between the farmers and the herdsmen in the country other than the establishment of Ruga settlements. His words thus:
“The way it works out is that the herdsmen will bring down their cows to the South East and will sell us the meat, while they will load grasses which are grown here in the same trailer with which they transported cows, to feed their cattle in those grazing reserve which should be made comfortable for them.”
Governor Umahi is the chairman, South-East Governors’ Forum and of course spoke on behalf of others; that the South-East Governors are not interested in Ruga. The opinion in the above statement is a trade by barter which is an exchange of grass for meat.
In conclusion, with the objections coming here and there, I am sure any Federal Government Administration wouldn’t think of anything *Ruga* or issues favourable to any particular group from anywhere in the society.
Please, Mr President, WE DON’T NEED THIS RUGALIZATION OF YOURS AND YOUR FULA PEOPLE (Voice of the people) IF NIGERIA IS ONE, LET NIGERIA REMAIN ONE.
By UDO AKAM-ALO
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The president definitely wants to move over to plan B, he wants to outsmart Nigerians with settlement….. Well we’ll see what happens in the future
We shall see what happens next