Gani Adams, aare ona kakanfo of Yorubaland, says that the
Yoruba tribe will not forgive governors that adopt Ruga settlement, a scheme
initially proposed by the federal government to tackle crisis between farmers
and herdsmen.
According to Nigerian Tribune, he likened the federal
government’s plan for Ruga settlement to an “afonja scenario,” saying the
scheme will only contribute to more damage to the country.
The Oodua Peoples Congress leader said that the initiative
is a dangerous policy which will drive the country into more chaos.
“Yoruba people had never wanted Ruga. It is unwarranted,
needless and a dangerous policy. It is a policy that can break this nation,
just as it has overheated the polity,” he said.
“The governor who does that would put himself in problem. It
would not even be a four-year or eight-year problem; it would be an everlasting
problem. And given the tension this issue generated, the Yoruba, especially,
won’t forgive such a governor for life.
“Do you know the Yoruba? We haven’t forgiven those who
betrayed us in the 60s. We haven’t forgiven those who betrayed Chief Obafemi
Awolowo in the 60s. We haven’t forgiven those who betrayed us in the cause of
June 12.”
The aare ona kakanfo also condemned the federal government’s
alleged proposal of N100 billion for Miyetti Allah.
He said the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is
only supporting a wrong plan, as actions of the herdsmen have chased out
investors and prevented farmers from going to their farms due to the fear of
being kidnapped.
“From the beginning, you would see the way the Federal
Government had been making steps. They wanted to give The Miyetti Allah N100
billion; the people rose against it and they stopped it,” he said.
“Now, the issue of giving them communities, spending
billions of naira on those locations, making them modern communities is the
least. Why?
“We have our farmers in Yorubaland. Even from the bogus
budget of the Ministry of Agriculture, they were not giving loans as similar
packages. They were discouraging our farmers and running their agricultural
system in their area.
“Now, even concerning private initiative, many people want
to be involved in agriculture; they want to spend their money, but are afraid
that if they go to farm, they (kidnappers) would kidnap them. The way this
thing is going, within a period of time, there would be shortage of food. There
would be famine in Nigeria.”
Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, had also discredited the
initiative, saying it “is going to be an explosion if not handled with care.”
Following public outcry, the federal government suspended the plan to implement Ruga.
Inuwa Yahaya, governor of Gombe state, however, said his
administration will proceed with the initiative despite its suspension.
The coalition of northern groups (CNGs) also issued a strong
warning to governors who are opposed to the Ruga settlement programme to
reconsider their decision within 30 days.
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