The Federal Government on Wednesday bowed to overwhelming public pressure and suspended the controversial Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) settlements scheme for herdsmen across the nation.

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State revealed the suspension at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

RUGA has been unanimously rejected in the South and parts of the Middle Belt, with several state governors insisting there is no land for ranches and cattle colonies in their various states.

The scheme is viewed with suspicion, with critics alleging that it is part of an orchestrated “Islamisation” and “Fulanisation” plot by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Presidency had earlier in a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu said the plan was to stop roaming of cattle herders with the attendant clashes with farmers.

“Ruga Settlement” that seeks to settle migrant pastoral families simply means rural settlement in which animal farmers, not just cattle herders, will be settled in an organized place with provision of necessary and adequate basic amenities such as schools, hospitals, road networks, vet clinics, markets and manufacturing entities that will process and add value to meats and animal products.

“Beneficiaries will include all persons in animal husbandry, not only Fulani herders.

“The Federal Government is planning this in order to curb open grazing of animals that continue to pose security threats to farmers and herders.

“The overall benefit to the nation includes a drastic reduction in conflicts between herders and farmers, a boost in animal protection complete with a value chain that will increase the quality and hygiene of livestock in terms of beef and milk production, increased quality of feeding and access to animal care and private sector participation in commercial pasture production by way of investments.

“Other gains are job creation, access to credit facilities, security for pastoral families and curtailment of cattle rustling.

“Stripped of the politics and howling that has attended the recent comments, there is no government plan to seize state land, colonize territory or impose Ruga on any part of the federation. Government has made it clear time and again that the programme is voluntary.

“So far, twelve states have applied to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, making lands available for the take-off of the scheme in their states. This number is sufficient for the pilot scheme.

“Unfortunately, some state governments that have not signified interest in the scheme and, therefore, are not on the invitation list have been misleading people that the Federal Government is embarking on a scheme to take away their lands.

“Mostly, these are state leaders that have no explanation to offer their people for continued non-payment of workers’ salaries. It is true that government at the centre has gazetted lands in all states of the federation but because the idea is not to force this programme on anyone, the government has limited the take-off to the dozen states with valid requests.

“We urge states to join the Federal Government at the centre in encouraging all sides to these conflicts to make efforts towards finding a peaceful resolution. As we seek a permanent solution to these unwanted conflicts, efforts must be made to ensure that no innocent person faces any kind of deprivation or loss of right and freedom under our laws,” the Presidency said.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had threatened to drag President Buhari to the United Nations over the Ruga policy of the Federal Government for herdsmen in the country.

The Imo State chapter of CAN made the position known on Sunday via its State Secretary, Rev. Eches Divine Eches, in Owerri.

Eches said RUGA was a strategy to freely create settlements for the Fulanis in the 36 states of the federation.

He called on the five governors of the South East states to quickly convene an emergency meeting to jointly and publicly reject the move to establish Ruga settlements for herders.

He added that the life of Nigerians would be under threat with such a policy, expressing fears that it could lead to further killings in the country.

Eches said: “We, the Christian Association of Nigeria, Imo State chapter, are saying no to the Ruga policy of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, had warned that the move, if not checked would set the country on fire.

Speaking in Lagos on Tuesday at the launch of United Nations’ Solutions 17 SDG programme, Soyinka berated the Federal Government for the idea, which he warned will cause Nigeria to explode.

According to him: “Ruga is going to be an explosion if not handled with care. But why do we not take our policies from good models? This is not the way people and countries deal with issues of cattle.

“I travel everywhere. It has to be handled in a way that is logical, comprehensible to the environment. When a cattle walks up to the window of my house in Abeokuta, a house which is located in a residential area, then there’s a problem.

“When cattle go to Ijebu Ode and eat up their plant seedlings and so on and you expect people to be quiet?”

He declared that the handling of the herdsmen issue by President Buhari was enough to make him lose re-election.

“President Buhari deserved to have lost the last election for the lackadaisical attitude he took to the issue of cattle rearing in the country.

“People have been killed in hundreds just because of the failure of leadership at a critical time. And the cattle herders have been given a sense of impunity. They kill without any compunction, they drive away the farmers who have been contributing to the food solutions in the country, the cattle eat their crops and then you come up with Ruga.

“I think that there is going to be trouble in this country if this Ruga thing is not handled imaginatively and with humanity as a priority. Any country where cattle takes priority over human life is definitely at an elementary stage,” he maintained.