07022021 - Herdsmen from Oyo Enugu Niger others heading to Kano

PAGE 18 — SUNDAY Vanguard, FEBRUARY 7, 2021
Amid rising tension over herders/farmers
clashes in Nigeria, Governor Abdullahi
Ganduje of Kano State recently proposed the
stoppage of the movement of cattle from North
to South, leading to an ongoing debate on
whether the proposal is capable of ending the
crisis.
The message resonated so much as if the
governor was making such a call for the first
time.
Long before the latest tension in the country
over the matter, Ganduje had made a similar
proposal.
He even went ahead to suggest that foreign
herders be banned from entering Nigeria.
In his recent call, the governor, a Fulani,
restated his earlier position that the North/
South movement of cows is responsible for
the rising tension associated with the activities
of herdsmen.
The Kano State helmsman revealed that he
has built a Rural Grazing Area, RUGA,
settlement in Kano where herders are being
resettled.
Meanwhile, the leader of Fulani herdsmen
and Secretary of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders
Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, in Kano
State Zubairu Ibrahim, told Sunday
Vanguard, at the weekend, that herdsmen
from many parts of the country have indicated
interest to relocate to the Kano RUGA
settlement.
Ibrahim said some of them are from states
such as Nasarawa, Niger, Enugu and Oyo
states, among others.
He said herdsmen willing to relocate to its
RUGA settlement provided by the state
government are welcome so long as they would
abide by the law.
Ibrahim added that herdsmen from five
states have already relocated to the state.
According to him, "we have some Fulani
herdsmen from Kebbi, Zamfara, Kaduna,
Sokoto, and Jigawa who are now in Kano.
The governor has invited anyone willing to
stay in the RUGA settlement to come. If they
come and they are good people, nothing will
stop us from receiving them.
"All they need to do is to follow the rules and
regulations of government. They should go
for grazing in the afternoon and not at night.
Nothing can stop them from coming if they
are interested.
"Since the governor of Ondo State has gone
to the media to say that they (herdsmen) should
vacate the area, instead of staying there they
should leave. they should leave so that
something bad does not happen to them and
their property. They should just vacate the area
for their safety."
He commended Ganduje for fulfilling his
promises and making history by resettling
them in the RUGA settlement.
Fulani herdsmen have, for some time now,
been in the eye of the storm over killing of
residents, especially in the southern part of
the country, after allegedly causing their cattle
to graze recklessly in farms of farmers and, in
the process, destroying valuable crops.
Mid last month, Ondo State government
ordered herdsmen operating from the state’s
forest reserves out of the place following
kidnappings and ransom taking linked to
them.
In Oyo, Yoruba activist Sunday Adeyemo,
aka Sunday Igboho, led a group to give herders
operating in Ibarapa area of the state one
week ultimate to vacate the area.
An attack was subsequently launched on the
Sarkin Fulani in the Ibarapa area, leading to
the burning of some of his property and forcing
him to relocate to Kwara State.
For several days last week, there were
protests against herders in parts of Edo and
Delta states by women against alleged
criminal activities of herders.
The report below gives a full view of the
Ganduje Ruga settlement in Danshoyia and
Falgore forests where herders from several
states of the South are allegedly relocating to.
By Bashir Bello
Kano State government is not leaving any
stone unturned on the implementation
of Rural Grazing Areas, RUGA,
settlement project to resettle Fulani herdsmen.
The aim is to end incessant farmers/herders
clashes and as well boost socio-economic
activities in the state.
To this end, he seems to have matched his
words with action by setting in motion works
on the project which are in various stages of
completion.
Sunday Vanguard learned that government
selected Danshoyia Forest, Kiru Local
Government Area of the state, which currently
houses about 25 housing units of the first
phase of 200 housing units to be constructed
in the forest.
Other facilities on the masterplan of the
RUGA project include industrial boreholes,
veterinary clinic, dispensary, earth dam, milk
collection centre, primary school, Islamiyyah
school, Mosque, market and security outpost.
A lot of factors were said to have been
considered before the location of the project
was chosen.
The issues considered include the size of the
area, closeness to market and the areas’
notoriety for habouring criminals.
Embattled herdsmen
from Oyo, Enugu, Niger,
others heading to Kano
—Miyetti Allah
•Inside Danguje’s N2.5bn RUGA settlements in
Danshoyia, Falgore forests
Model houses
In fact, some forests where criminal
activities take place were chosen and converted
into RUGA settlements.
The project has two components being
handled by the RUGA Committee and the
Kano State Agro Pastoral Development
Project, KSADP, with aid from the Islamic
Development Bank.
The Committee oversees the construction
of houses while KSADP supervises the
provision of other infrastructures in the
facilities.
Chairman of the RUGA Committee, Jibrilla
Mohammed, had said the Committee settled
for the Danshoyia Forest for the fact that it is
very large with a sizable number of Fulani
settlements and arable land for grass
cultivation.
He explained that model houses of two
bedrooms were being built in the form of
clusters of six houses.
N2.5billion
On his part, KSADP Coordinator,
Muhammad Garba, said N2.5billion was
earmarked for the provision of facilities in
the Danshoyia forest.
Garba who spoke through his Project
Communication Specialist, Ameen Yassar,
said N88 million contract has been awarded
for seed modifications for growing grass.
He explained: “KASDP is
handling another
component of the project
which is aided by the Islamic
Development Bank. We are
working in Danshoyia Forest
where we intend to settle the
herdsmen. We intend to grow
grass and have even
awarded a contract for seed
modifications worth 88
million.
“We intend to spend at least
N2.5billion in the forest to
provide facilities such as
milk collection centre,
school for the nomads,
mosque and market and so
on. So while we are doing
some of these things the
committee is also carrying
out its mandate. But our
project is the main entity that
is working in the forest.
Milk collection
“The state government through the
committee is building a number of houses for
the Fulani while KASDP is building the milk
collection centre, markets, veterinary clinic,
and other facilities.
“We are even looking at the possibility of
constructing a bridge to link up the area. There
is a stream that transverse the Danshoyia
Forest and terminates at the Challawa Gauge
Dam.
“KSADP will provide the much-needed
solution to farmers/ herders conflicts,
unfettered nomadism as well as enhance the
development of pastoral communities.
“I want to believe that only a project such as
I would like to
invite all
herdsmen in the
country who
will like to settle
in one place
this that can curb famers/herders clashes and
security risks, improve farm yields, accelerate
livestock production through adoption of
modern best practices to generally improve
the economic potentials of our small holder
farmers.
“The project will improve the capacity of
our herdsmen to produce and process more
milk and pave the way for quality beef
production. We believe that because of the
security implication of nomadic lifestyle such
as farmer/herders clashes and the fact that the
old system of cattle rearing is more cultural
than economical, things must change.
“We decided to create Ruga settlements in
our forests such as Dansoshiya and with the
help of this Islamic Development Bank, IsDB
supported Project. We are going to make them
full-fledged grazing reserves.”
Why we initiated project
—Ganduje
Already, 25 units of the first phase of 200
housing units at Danshoyia Forest, have been
commissioned.
At the commissioning ceremony, Ganduje
provided more insight into the project, saying
it was mainly conceived to address insecurity
in not just Kano but also the entire country.
He said: “ The first reason is the problem of
insecurity all over the country as a result of
the conflict between the farmers and
herdsmen. This is an old conflict that
must be resolved in a very
organized and scientific system.
“Also, the herdsmen who
travelled from one state to
another have to be resettled,
from the northern part of the
country to Middle Belt,
southern and western part of the
country, the journey results in
conflict as a result of farmers/
herders clash, religious, tribal,
economic conflicts and a lot of
lives are lost to these conflicts.
“Similarly, there is the
problem of cattle rustling
because cattle rustlers find it
very easy when herdsmen are
traveling from one state to
another. These must stop. And
the only way to stop it is to
domesticate and resettle the
herdsmen in one place so that
they don’t cross the borders from
one place to another.
Children of herdsmen
“Another reason we developed the RUGA
settlement is to modernize the herdsmanship
by modernizing the system of breeding our
cows. We all know that the traditional
herdsmanship, the cattle do not grow fat
therefore meat and milk production is very
limited. To modernize the system, that is why
Kano State government sponsored 72 children
of herdsmen to the Republic of Turkey to learn
insemination and are now back to Kano and
practicing attrition insemination. An
insemination center will be established in the
RUGA facility. We will provide veterinary
doctors and veterinary technicians who will
assist with the modern system of breeding
Gov. Ganduje
animals. It is necessary to improve and
modernise the breeding system for Fulani
cattle. As it is clear that a gallon of milk is
more expensive than one gallon of petrol, it is,
therefore, necessary for us to utilize this great
opportunity. We are also thinking of
establishing a modern abattoir so that haulage
of cattle from North to South would be
replaced with transportation of processed
meat.
RUGA
“Another reason we develop the settlement
is for human development of the herdsmen.
We have to consider their education and health.
We are providing primary and later secondary
schools. This is because education is the pillar
of development. I am also a Fulani man. When
I was growing up I was involved in cattle
rearing or herdsmanship. I took the cattle to
the river and forest where they fed and later
took them back home. The following day, the
process continues. I was enrolled in a Primary
school, sat for an examination and I passed it
which qualified me for secondary school. I
proceeded to the university. I did my Masters
and PhD. I worked in the government and
later joined politics and today, I am the
Governor of Kano State. This is only possible
because I was enrolled in a school. So my
brothers and sisters from the Fulani tribe, you
must enroll your children in school and the
adults must join adult education. In this RUGA
settlement, we are providing you with primary
school and later on with secondary school and
all facilities that will encourage and promote
your education.
“Equally, we are providing you with health
facilities and markets and all those facilities
that will make you develop as a human being.
Falgore Forest
“Our intention in the first phase is to construct
200 housing units, now we have 25 and
construction is going on. And we assure you
that we will continue this project until we
develop a huge RUGA settlement in Kiru Local
Government Area.
“This is not the only site, in Falgore Forest,
we are doing the same construction of houses
and other facilities to ensure that the
herdsmen are settled in one place. In Falgore
Forest, we are also providing a training
ground for the military so that cattle rustlers
will not come after their cattle.
“I would like to invite all herdsmen in the
country who will like to settle in one place. We
have started providing infrastructure at the
Danshoyia and Falgore forests. We invite all
herdsmen to come to Kano so we provide them
with such services. We know the
socioeconomic advantage of these and we
know how we can reduce conflict in Nigeria
by such gigantic programmes.’’