RUGA: No Herdsmen Settlement, No Peace – Miyetti Allah

herdsmen miyetti allah ruga
Members of a Miyetti Allah group (Photo credit: NAN)

The Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore socio-cultural organisation has said governors who want peace in their states should create settlements for herdsmen.

Concise News understands that the Federal Government earlier this year halted the proposed Rural Grazing Reserve Area (RUGA) for herdsmen following the controversies it raised.

However, the National President of the organisation Abdullahi Bodejo claimed that issues concerning the Fulani are being used for political gains.

“We are just saying the same thing; whether Ruga or cattle colony, but the only thing is that Fulani issue in Nigeria is being used to play politics,” he told Sun.

“If you are losing [an] election and you want to gain back lost ground, play the Fulani politics. If you want to win [an] election in 2023, you can start using anti-grazing law.

“We have grazing routes and grazing reserves and if Nigeria wants to solve the herdsmen and farmers clashes once and for all, you are a governor and you want to enjoy peace in your state, you don’t need any long meeting, just create a particular area for the Fulani and equip them with modern amenities.

“Instead of doing this, they are playing bad politics with Fulani.

“Since when the Ruga started, I’m yet to see any, except the efforts being made by the Zamfara State governor. No other governor is doing anything about it; it is still politics.

“Look at the support given to rice farmers through anchor borrowers programme; it is running into several billions of naira, and yet there is nothing for the Fulani business.

“Some people are saying cattle rearing is a private business, but about 99 per cent of the cows we are eating in this country are from Fulani.

“States are making revenues from cows. For example, in Lagos, over 6,000 cows are killed daily and the state government is making so much money from that and that is the way it is in other states of the country.”

According to him, “These governors are not serious, that is why they are talking about anti-grazing laws; they are not serious in maintaining peace in their state; they are not serious in carrying everybody along.

“They want to politicise Fulani issue. See how they are criminalising the Fulani man; these people they arrested for criminal activities are not Fulani, some of them have learnt Fulani languages and people say they are Fulani.

“Even small children have been made to believe that the problem of this country is the Fulani. But Fulani are very peace-loving; they don’t have any problem.”

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