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Chuks Onuoha, Umuahia and Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka
Abia State Government has said it will not provide land for the establishment of the controversial and suspended Ruga settlement in the state as being rumoured by some persons.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who was the commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Uche Ihediwa, spoke when he briefed newsmen at Government House, Umuahia, Abia State.
Ihediwa disclosed that the rumour in the Internet that the state government has provided land for the establishment of Ruga settlement was masterminded by a traditional ruler in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area.
He said the monarch feared that its establishment at the site for trailer park would affect his community adversely.
“He does not want anything to do with it and for that reason, he refused to get genuine information and decided to spread the rumour that the state government has provided land for Ruga for herdsmen at the site, earlier considered for trailer park in the area.”
At the briefing were the traditional ruler of Arungwa Ancient Kingdom, in Osisioma, the community that owned the land which government considered to use for the park, Eze Ndukwe Enwereji, and the new Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka, who moderated the briefing.
Ihediwa said the traditional ruler had feared that if established, Ruga would have adverse effects on his community, which is the next after Arungwa.
Ihediwa said when he asked if Abia State has agreed to build a trailer park, the traditional ruler said he did not know since he had left the ministry of lands then.
“Then, he posted in the internet that government has donated land for Ruga. Assuming that the state gave land to the Federal Government, there is usually what is called purpose clause and if the land is turned to something else, the government has right to take it back. That was where I stopped.”
Meanwhile, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), yesterday, challenged Arewa youths to do their worst after the expiration of the 30-day ultimatum they gave to the Federal Government to implement the suspended Ruga settlement policy.
This was just as the group said it would support ranching business, but on owner’s private land.
IPOB said though it is a peaceful movement, it would not allow any attempt to force the people to part with their ancestral land for any Ruga settlement.
It said cattle business has remained a personal business and there was no trick the Nigerian Government could succeed in using to change the narrative.
In a statement issued by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the group said: “IPOB is a peaceful movement and must remain so, but cannot allow anybody to trample on us by forcing our people to release their ancestral land to them.”
We are aware that cattle business remains a personal business in Nigeria and cannot change today. We advise the Federal Government and those behind this evil plan to retrace their steps before it spills over, claims more innocent lives and becomes uncontrollable.
“The community ancestral lands are gifts from the Most High God handed over to them to dwell on, which must not be taken over under any guise by the government or Fulani.
“We challenge Arewa youths to do their worst after the expiration of the so-called 30 days ultimatum as was widely reported in every national and international media; we are anxiously and eagerly waiting for them in whatever shape they may want it.”
The group said the demand for land for Fulani Ruga settlement in Biafraland should be forgotten.
“Following the consistent pressure in disguise from Nigeria and her security forces for our people to release their ancestral lands for Ruga settlement, is exactly the same way Satan asked Christ to bow before him in order to possess the riches of the earth.
“We have rejected Nigeria forever and whatever that looks good and bad in her. Fulani people should keep their Ruga settlement till eternity in the North, we don’t care about the gains and losses. Our total desire is to restore Biafra sovereignty and independence, nothing more.
“Southern Nigeria, Middle Belt, particularly Biafrans must understand that Ruga settlement is totally to fix Fulani with the indigenous people that will cause them harm in the near future.
“How can Fulani kill pregnant women, children, displace people out of their homes and their God given ancestral land and still government has the temerity to force them to release land for them. Nigeria and her security agencies have refused to arrest these killers and are ready to kill anybody who raises eyebrow against the Fulani terrorist herdsmen and their mode of operation against the indigenous population.
“The use of force to establish Ruga for Fulani in all the 36 states of Nigeria is a clear indication that the Federal Government is behind every attack on people by Fulani herdsmen since 2001.
“IPOB said no to it and that can’t happen on any of Biafran soil. Ruga for Fulani and National Livestock Transformation Program (NLTP) are the same, and cannot be allowed here in Biafraland, no matter the high level they take it to because it is all about taking over our ancestral land by force.
“We cannot rule out that Igbo are much involved in the cattle business, but don’t have herdsmen, who live and wander inside the bushes and forests across the country.
“We are still wondering why the Federal Government and Fulani people are desperate in looking for Ruga settlement in our land, forgetting that our people cannot accommodate them in our little space.
“Fulani contribute nothing, only violence and criminality in the society and the economy, you can imagine how they were killing people in Plateau, Benue, Taraba, southern Kaduna, Enugu, Ebonyi and Delta states.
“We must do the needful to defend ourselves and our property by stopping this aggression, violent incursion and land-grabbing, no matter what it takes to do so.”
“And the man went to town concluding, on the basis of an opinion we shared that Abia State Government has agreed to give land to the Federal Government for Ruga. As I talk now, nobody has issued any letter of allocation, talk less of certificate of occupancy, to the Federal Government, even for the trailer park because the land in question is less than the measurement that can be used for the park.
“Where governments of the entire South East stand on giving out land for Ruga is where we stand. As commissioner for land, I was one of the first to say we will not give land to herdsmen because we have no land to give. The governor has said this emphatically and openly that the state has no land to give. How can someone of professorial level go to town with rumour to mislead the people?”
He said the state government would not donate any land for Ruga, and warned that if Owuala does not apologise to the state government for the misinformation within seven days, the state government would meet him in court.
