The Oyo State Government on Tuesday revealed that it is not aware of Federal Government’s policy of proposed RUGA settlement which allows the Fulani herdsmen to rear their cattles across the country.
The Governor, Seyi Makinde made this known in an interview granted on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa in reaction to the proposed settlement, noting that, ‘there is no fact to the rumor that Oyo State was part of the shortlisted States proposed by the Federal Government of Nigeria for the establishment of RUGA settlement’.
‘RUGA settlement is a Federal Government project, so Oyo State is not aware of the operation and the process that leads to the decision.Federal Government announced it but we are yet to know benefit of the proposed settlement’.
‘The decision by the Federal Government was not known to us and there is no land demarcated for the Federal Government by the Oyo State Government, because a land use act has already vested all the land in the State into the custody of the State Governor and the Governor is the only one that can acquired land for the Federal Government.”
He noted that ‘although the Federal Government is the Government of the entire country but, as a pace setter State, Oyo State will not run away in tackling issues affecting the indigene and residence of the State.
The spokesman pointed out that the Federal Government has been giving series of excuses over the years concerning the issue of farmers/herders clashes ranging from grazing route, desertification and others, adding that the Federal Government should have find solutions to the problem if there is sincerity of purpose.
“Nigeria is not only the country rearing cattle; the people at the Federal level should find a way of tackling insecurity instead of the proposed RUGA settlement across the nation”, he declared
He emphasised that security of lives and property affect everybody in the State, so there should be sincerity of oath of office the Presidency sworn-in to protect the lives and property of individual.
“Federal Government should fashion out enduring model of cattle rearing in the country, nobody at the Federal level should be giving excuses, Fulani herdsmen are busy creating problems here and there, and this has now become a wide spread criminality, and it has also become issue that the President should not take with levity hands, there is laxity somewhere in Nigeria security systems and this doesn’t has to do with RUGA settlement.”
He however said that the Oyo State Governor will not do anything at the detriment of the security of lives and property of the people in the state.
