Benue Assembly rejects Fulani settlements

THE Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Titus Ubah, on Friday, condemned in totality plans by the federal government to allocate any portion of land within the state for building of Ruga Settlement for herdsmen.

Mr. Ubah, who made his position know at a press conference in Makurdi, said the Federal Government of Nigeria could not allocate land for the establishment of Ruga-Fulani settlements in Benue State without the knowledge of the state government.

According to him, Benue State government would not give out Benue land for the  settlement initiative, as according to him, there is inadequate land to meet the farming needs of the agrarian communities of the state.

“It is with a deep sense of patriotism and genuine concern for the welfare and wellbeing of the peace loving people of Benue, that I rise to condemn in strong terms recent plans by the Federal Government to establish Ruga settlements across the country which had been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration which the Federal Government claimed would stop open-grazing by herdsmen and end herders-farmers crisis across the country.

“Therefore, the 9th Benue State House of Assembly as a parliament condemn in totality plans by any individual, group of people or federal government to allocate any portion of land within the Benue for such a questionable project.

“To this end, I hereby categorically state that the Benue State House of Assembly rejects the move for Fulani-Ruga settlement in the State and instead support the full implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 as ranching remains global best practice,” Ubah stated.

He said that  the House was 100 per cent in support of Governor Samuel Ortom and the people of Benue State on the enforcement of the anti-open grazing law as a panacea for ending herders-farmers conflict.

The speaker disclosed that  the house had advised  the state governor, Samuel Ortom, to immediately direct all local government chairmen to remove any signpost bearing Ruga Settlement project on any land in their areas.