Following Federal Government’s recent suspension of its Ruga Settlement policy, the Equity International Initiative (EII) has
called on President Muhammadu Buhari to completely bury the idea and instead concentrated towards making life more comfortable for citizenry, while also ensuring their safety.
The group equally commended the Federal Government for suspending the aforementioned policy, saying because it was a poorly conceived project, “is capable of destroying this country as a nation”.
The EII made the call for the complete abolition of the Ruga policy or any of such through its Country Focal Person, Chris Iyama, while addressing journalists on the State of the Nation, in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
Iyama said, “We commend the Federal Government for suspending the RUGA policy due to protests against the poorly conceived, divisive and potential destructive project; because it is capable of destroying this country as a Nation.
“But it’s interesting to note, that it first came as a ‘grazing route’ and was suspended. It was later re-baptized as ‘cattle colonies’ and also suspended. Subsequently, it was christened ‘RUGA’ and again was suspended as at today. Who knows what next? This is because the Leopard may change its name but the spots remains.
“EII hereby calls on the Federal Government to bury the RUGA idea and concentrate its effort towards making life more comfortable for citizens while ensuring their safety.
“As an organization which has been in the fore-front of promoting citizens participation on issues that directly and remotely affects them through Advocacy, Public Policy Research and Capacity building, “We demand that the federal government completely perish the idea of Ruga project, cattle colonies and any such ideas that will seem to favour Fulani herdsmen who have been known killers and oppressors above other ethnic groups in Nigeria.
“We ask the Federal Government to provide enabling environment for businesses and enterprises to thrive in Nigeria irrespective of the state or region the businesses are located instead of focusing on grabbing land illegally from states and from citizens for Fulani herdsmen.
“Federal government should ensure provision of regular power supply, this is the most important thing that both small scales, medium scales and large scales businesses need in Nigeria to make their businesses thrive and improve the economy over all and not Ruga or cattle colonies”, he maintained.
Iyama calls for adequate transparency in the procurement of military equipment.
“We call on the military to desist from excessive show of force to intimidate civilians whenever it feels aggrieved.
According to him, “The laws of Nigeria have made adequate provisions for how such should be addressed and the military should not act outside of these laws.”
