Anambra-based Industrialist Opposes Plan To Establish Ruga In S’East

By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha

The Chairman of the trial cluster, Awada Obosi in Idemili North LGA, Anambra state, Chief Johnson Okolo has opposed a plan by the government of Nigeria to establish Ruga or Ranch in the southeast.

Okolo who hails from Amofia Agu  Afa in Udi LGA,  Enugu State in a chat with newsmen in Onitsha slammed any level of government planning to establish Ruga or Ranch in South East esp, especially in Enugu State, saying that such plan can not work.
 
He said that he is a victim of Fulani herders, contending that whatever nomenclature they use, Ruga is a similar lar thing to Ranch and there must be a course upon anybody who will encourage Fulanise to settle in Enugu State.

“Fulanise used their cattle to destroy 6000 palm trees, 300 Orange, and 300 cashew trees which I planted on my farm at Amofia Afa in Udi LGA. In terms of what they called Ranch. I have said timesme without number, what is the interest of Government in the business of valley. It is not Enugu State people or Southeast people thaownnthe s Ranch, if not Ru??. And I have said it inthe   Enugu State forum.”

” I told them that when we do business in the North, do they buy shops for ??. Why will they buy land where they will dcattlele rearing? If not Ruga. I said it before, Any money they see frothe m government, they see it as their right. So, the Enugu State government or whatever government is buying them land, the Fulanise and Northerners will see it as their money and their lad . So, they are trying to solve problems with troubles”

” By the time they were given lad , they would not even look for governmen t.They will take it as their land. Today, they don’t have land they call their own in the South East. So, don’t provide land for them. I am totally against it. Lets face insecurity and remove their guns”

He continued sayint ” If the state government are afraid to challenge Fulanise who carry arms in the South East, setting unationwidede insecurity which means they are government on their own and the Government is afraid to speak on that. What they are trying to do is to solvproblems   on setting up Ruga on somebody’s lad . Who owns the land they are doing Ranching?”

” You want to take up somebody’s land in the name of government and set another tribe there. Can’t we rear c??. We can manage cows by ourselves. Enugu State or whatever government, go and buy cows for the   indigenes and seup t ranchng for them. Don’t give another person’s land to another person. If they set this Ruga which they are planning,  their family must suffer t . Why not go and establish it in thein village first” Said Okolo

The Community leader equally lamented, saying that if they succeed in giving Falani land, they will use it as a bomb station anan d opportunitto killng people.

“Let these people who are planning this Rugo ask Southern Kaduna, Ben,ue and Jos what they are passing through in the hands of Fulanise. They want us to be Internally Displaced persons ( IDP) in oun land like Southern Kaduna, Benue, Jos amongst other”