…Reconsider your steps, ECDA, Alago leaders caution
…We are fully in support of the governor’s decision – Sandaji
….Implementation would guarantee security,  food sufficiency and boost economy – Sen Walid Jibrin
….Resisting RUGA is hypocritical – Stanley Buba
Nasarawa state governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule has made no secret his commitment to implement the suspended Ruga settlement project of the federal government in view of its immense benefits, especially  as regards security and economy.
Addressing a delegation of Fulani community led by the Sarkin Fulani who is also the the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT)of the Peoples Democratic  Party (PDP) Gov. Sule insisted that the state government will continue with the implementation of the Ruga Settlement Project recently suspended by the federal government.
According to Governor Sule, “the Ruga Settlement Project was not brought to the state by anybody. But in my quest at searching for means that could bring a lasting peace in the state, I personally went to the federal ministry of agriculture and understudy the pros and cons of the project where I discovered some substantial benefits derivable from it when I subsequently demanded that it should be established in Nasarawa State.”
“It was after understanding the benefits that Ruga settlement would bring to the state that I summoned traditional rulers of the state to discuss the issue which the traditional rulers in their unanimous decision assented to the programme. We in Nasarawa State are going ahead with the Ruga project as an experiment for other states of the federation to emulate.”
He stated emphatically that his administration will stop at nothing to ensure that peace is maintained in the state, saying it was against his desire to sustain the already existing peace being experienced in the state that he recently visited his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, to solicit for his support in order for the two states to maintain peace on their border areas.
Lending his voice to the ongoing debate on the Ruga project, Sen. Walid Jibrin, urged  Nasarawa state citizens to embrace the establishment of Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) programme to be implemented by the state government, saying the proposed settlement policy for herdsmen would promote peace and security in the state and the country at large.
He also explained that the programme would boost food security and improve on the health and standard of living of rural communities.
He pointed out that it was regrettable that the Ruga programme has been politicised, even as he maintained that as a member of the PDP he was in support of the move by the APC-led administration in the state. 
“I am not in APC, I am a PDP chieftain. But when we talk of development and security, we should leave anything about politics, religion and tribe. Whoever is ruling in Nigeria, if he brings any programme that will do away with insecurity, killings. And will take care of the welfare of the people, I will go by that. My politics is not a do or die and I play politics without bitterness” he explained.
“That is why I am and we Fulani commends the Federal Government for introducing the RUGA project in the country.
“I and our tribe (Fulani) had embraced the programme. RUGA project include provision of hospitals, schools, water supply and electricity, among other facilities, which will have direct bearing on the lives of the herders and apart from that, it will also tackle incessant farmers/herdsmen conflicts as well as boost food security in the country,” he further explained.
Lending his voice to the debate, a chietain of the APC and former Special Adviser on Revenue, Ahaji Abubakar Usman Sandaji regretted that such a lofty idea which has taken roots in far less developed and economically endowed countries Nigerians are still bickering over it even with its attendant benefits.
He said: “You see this RUGA something even in some African countries that are not as rich and diversified as we are, they have successfully implemented that since. You what is the essence of RUGA. The essence of RUGA is to have settlement for cattle management”.
“And in the cause of it other facilities come in like veterinary clinic and so many things, schools for the settlers there and so many basic amenities for the people and animal wellbeing. If you want to go and buy your meat you will very sure you are going to buy a healthy cow. It is not going to be only cow there. There may be pigs there, ram there. Let me tell you something most of the cows we consume are not healthy. Because they don’t rest. So it not only about peace. It is going to improve our health and so many things”.
“So it is not all about ethnicity, religion or tribe. The state that refuses to implement it now is not just on the economy benefits. It is base on the ethnicity and tribal myopic conceptions they have in their head. So they are moving back. So am not surprise with what our Governor said he will do because he is a technocrat as I told you earlier is going to implement it. It has been more than the right time. They are even delaying. When they do that you will not even see these cattle on the roads. That is what we should do, we should move forward”.
“When we are talking about development while other countries have gone far. We just talking of how to solve just RUGA problem which means we have not even started. The Oyibo’s will be saying look at these ‘Monkeys and Donkeys’ they are still at this level”.
“So let’s do the RUGA. We will benefits two things; peace, economy growth and there will be employment. People will be working there. It just field with adequate facilities there will be schools there which will be free. So that they more educated this RUGA people are they more they will manage these things better. The issue of people roaming about with cattle will reduce”.
However, the Eggon Nation opposes ruga settlements and urged government to think twice.
The position was made known through the President, Eggon Cultural and Development Association, ECDA, Pastor Wilberforce Alaku.
Speaking exclusively  to The EYEWITNESS he said: “About the Ruga issue, we should be careful how we handle the it to avoid to repeat of past mistakes in the state. It is  a matter that should he handle with caution”.
In the same vein, an opinion leader and a prominent figure with the Alago Development Association  who prefers anonymity cautioned that the government must do a thorough job of consulting with all the stakeholders before it considers the implementation of the policy.
He said government must allow the various communities to drive the process and not shove it down their throats as the will bring resistance and possibly result in another crisis.
He lamented while Alago nation alone must contend with having the Ruga settlement in four of it communities,  government can evenly distribute the settlements to othef parts of the state as the dynamics that produced the former designated areas have now changed.
“Government should not be in a hurry to implement this policy without exhaustive consultations otherwise it will be counter productive “.
“It must also look for ways of distributing the settlements evenly across the state because as it is there is apprehension among our people who are worried and suspicious of why three or four Alago settlements have been earmarked when other parts of the state are left untoucheduntouched”.
He recounted that: “When we were growing up, we saw Fulani people relating very well and peacefully with our parents. There was no issue of ill feelings or mutual suspicion against each other. We lived in peace in the same community together and we sometimes engage in exchange of measures of grains in place of cow milk  and vice versa. But today, this cannot be said of the relationship we haveo with the Fulani people”.
“We were living freely before, they even helped you harvest your farm crops just to allow them or gain access to your farm after harvesting. We eat their cow meat and drink their cow milk”.
“But today, such can’t be said, because they send their cows to peoples farm to eat or destroy your food crops in the farm, and when you complain they kill you”.
On the Ruga issue, we need to have some understanding. It is not that we hate the Fulani. Their actions is responsible to our position and we want the government to apply caution”.
“We should know that, where there is no agreement, there can’t be peace, and I want the government should consider and think twice on the issue of Ruga before considering implementing” Alaku cautioned.
The first chairman of the APC in Nasarawa state, Arc. Stanley Buba says the negative stance on the implementation of the Ruga policy is hypothetical,  insisting that in many communities across Nigeria the Fulani herders were already being accommodated,  arguing further that giving the status quo government support will only engender better result for the herder and host communities. 
“But you see the hypocrisy in all of these is that if you go round Nasarawa State , almost every community has a Ruga that the people are staying free of charge without paying a dime. So for me, this is political and social media hullabaloo. People making noise over something they shouldn’t raise an eye brow for.
Buba maintained  that many people have no idea about how the government intends to make Ruga work but they are influenced by other people to oppose it, “just because someone comes and start agitating for the scrapping of Ruga plan , you also join not knowing what Ruga really is about”.
“As we all know the fulanis are use to moving around , they are nomads, but the next level is to settle in one place that there will be economic development.
“By the time one or two states adopt Ruga, it is  thesame people rejecting it that will take to the media saying they have been shortchanged”.
“There is nothing wrong with the implementation of Ruga, it is just sentiment clouding peoples judgement” he maintained.
“I believe Ruga is going to solve the problem of farmer/ herder crisis”.