03072019 - Buhari's Ruga policy, an explosive issue — SOYINKA

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HRM Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II with on HRM’s left, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu, District Grand master; on
the right next to the scepter bearer is Busola Holloway, Deputy District Grand master, during the Oba of
Benin's visit to the Lodge’s Temple in Benin City.
Buhari's Ruga policy, an
explosive issue — SOYINKA
By Emma Amaize,
Regional Editor, S-
South, Dapo
Akinrefon, Gabriel
Ewepu, Chinonso
Alozie, Olayinka
Ajayi & Odera
Ebeze
LAGOS — Outrage
trailing introduction
of the Ruga settlements
policy continued
yesterday, with Nobel
Laureate, Professor Wole
Soyinka, saying it’s going
to be an explosive issue,
adding that the President
ought to have lost the last
elections on account of
the “lackadaisical attitude
which he took to the issue
of cattle-rearers.”
He also wondered if
there was any society
where cattle take priority
over human beings.
Soyinka spoke as Benue
State Government
yesterday disclosed its
decision to approach the
Supreme Court to stop the
Federal Government from
going ahead with the
project in the state, even
as the Rivers State
Government vowed never
to participate in the
project.
Similarly, Igbo National
Council, INC, and Ijaw
Youth Council warned that
no land would be made
available in their
territories for the project,
just as former Deputy
National Chairman of
Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, Chief Olabode
George, faulted the
timing of introduction of
the project, saying it was
suspicious.
Soyinka, who was a
special guest at the official
launch of Solution 17 for
Sustainable Development
Goals , an initiative
geared towards youth
empowerment in Lagos
yesterday, maintained
that the practice of
herders’ settlement across
Nigeria was neither
strange nor mysterious.
‘Ruga, and
explosive issue’
Fielding questions from
newsmen, he said: “Ruga
is going to be an
explosive issue and it had
better be handled very
carefully. Why is it that we
fail to take our models
from successful
performers? And then,
Buhari took such a long
time. For me, he deserved
— and I have written this
down — to have lost the
last election if only on
account of the
lackadaisical attitude
which he took to the issue
of cattle-rearers. People
have been killed in
hundreds till today and it
is only because of the
failure of leadership at the
critical time.
“There are ways in
which people deal, and
have dealt for decades —
for centuries with cattle
everywhere. I travel
everywhere. It is nothing
so strange; there is
nothing mysterious about
cattle rearing.
“Why should cattle
become a problem just
because we like to eat
beef? I don’t understand
it. There are solutions
which are very simple.
People have talked about
ranching, but the
ranching has got to be
done in places which are
environmentally
congenial to that
particular kind of trade
and at the same time do
not afflict humanity.
“What’s the point in
trying to provide food and
the food chokes us; which
is what cattle and cattlerearers
have been doing?
We have a situation
where cattle walk up to
my own door in Abeokuta
which is supposed to be
a residential area.
“There is a problem
when cattle go to Ijebu-
Ode and eat up Sodipe’s
(a furniture maker’s)
planted seedlings; and
this is someone who is
working towards a
guaranteed environment
by planting trees to
replace the trees (timber)
which he has used. Then
cattle come and eat up all
of that and you expect
people to sit down and be
quiet?
“That is the most
important thing and the
cattle rearers have been
given a sense of impunity:
they kill without any
compunction; they drive
farmers also who are
contributing to the food
solution of the country
away; burn their crops; eat
their crops; and then you
come with Ruga.
“I think there is going
to be trouble in this
country if this cattlerearing
issue is not
handled imaginatively
and with humanity as the
priority. There cannot be
any kind of society where
cattle take priority over
human beings. It is as
elementary as that”.
Benue govt
heads to S-Court
In a similar
development, Benue
State Government
yesterday disclosed its
decision to approach the
Supreme Court to stop the
Federal Government from
going ahead with the
project in the state.
Chief Press Secretary,
CPS, to the state
governor, Terve Akase,
who disclosed this while
speaking on African
Independent Television,
AIT programme, Kaakaki
said the state has
contacted its lawyers to
get their papers ready to
begin the court process.
He said: “The Senior
Special Assistant, Media
and Publicity to the
Muhammadu Buhari,
Garba Shehu, came out to
tell the world that the
Continues on Page 41
By Bose Adelaja, Olayinka Latona,
Dickson Omobola, Tolulope Oke,
Chiamaka Uba, Janet Somoye
& Anifowose Opeyemi
Plan by Miyetti Allah to set up vigilante groups in South-east (3)
I
AM not in support
of Miyyeti Allah
settling up vigilante
groups in the South-east
because there is no way
an outsider will claim
that he or she knows
your land better than the
sons of the soil. Miyyeti
Allah group just wants
to cause crisis with their
plan Its even
embarrassing to the
south-East people.
Bukola Adeyemi-
Teacher
THE group will
claim that the
constitution provides for
free association and for
Nigerians to reside in
any part of the country
where they like. But the
environment is just too
hostile for such a
development. Moreso,
the people must welcome
Miyetti Allah first before
they could think of
setting up a vigilante
group.
William Jimoh-
Student
IT
is an act to
hypnotize the masses
into another trap of
modern monetary
carnival. No political
agenda has ever
benefited the masses
except to fulfill a selfish
agenda. What is the work
of the police and all the
paramilitary terrorizing
the poor masses? I am not
in support of the idea.
Oluwatobi Olawale-
Corps member.
T
HE plan by Miyetti
Allah to set up a
vigilante group won’t stop
the killings. This is so
because it would be seen as
a form of attack on the host
community which might
lead to serious crisis. What
I feel should be done is for
MACBAN to fish out the
bad eggs among the
herdsmen and punish them.
Mr. Lanre Bello-
Photographer
I
THINK it is a
good idea if the
government will
coordinate the said
vigilante group so
that they will not be
hijack by bandits and
killer herdsmen. Also
these will further
secure the life and
properties of these
communities.
Olubunmi Alatise-
Businesswoman.
I
DID not buy into the
idea at all. It is
uncalled for. Probably
they are only trying to pull
the legs of South-east
people. Miyyeti Allah
group cannot know the
south- east terrain like the
owner, so I wonder how
the group will be able to
operate more effectively
than the owner of the
land.
Mrs. John Funmilola.
Caterer.