SDP Chieftain Carpets Nigerian Government Over Cattle Settlements In States

Elekima

Chief Precious Elekima, a chieftain of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Nigeria, has decried what he called tension generated by plans of President Muhammadu Buhari to establish cattle settlements (RUGA) for Fulani herdsmen in all 36 states of the federation.

The Federal Government had reportedly suspended the idea until further notice following public outcry and seeming misconception about the project designed to stem incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers across Nigeria.

But Elekima, who is also President, People’s Life Improvement Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation, stated in an open Letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, made available to our Correspondent, that the idea had generated tension in Nigeria at a level that had never been experienced since the civil war.

According to Elekima, who ran for the Governorship position in the 2019 General Elections in Rivers State on the party’s platform of SDP, the tension so created is visible expression of dissatisfaction and anger by significant number of tribes across the majority of the states in Nigeria.

“Not since the civil war has Nigeria been faced with this level of tension, which is visible expression of dissatisfaction and anger by significant number of tribes across the majority of the states in the country.

“But this situation is even more dangerous than the civil war because the entire country had to contend with only the Igbos during the civil war whereas the situation today has the entire South West, South South, South East and other states such as Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Nassarawa and as well as other tribes in some of the Northern states all on the verge of carrying arms over or against the establishment of the exclusive Fulani Cattle colonies known as the RUGA program.

“A handmade to these Fulani colonies is also being prepared in the form of a bill now before the National Assembly for the taking over of all Rivers and River Banks up to one kilometre (1km) inland.

”All these activities, regrettably, assumed these frenzied rush within the tenure of this current president who is a Fulani and a proud owner of cattle,” he stated.

He stated that Nigeria and Nigerians have since the beginning, before and after the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates, lived with their Fulani brothers and other herdsmen without threat to National Security or genocide.

According to Elekima the Fulani herdsmen that have engaged in the genocide, that is the pretext for the establishment of these Fulani colonies or RUGA, are Non-Nigerians but persons crossing over our borders from neighbouring countries to forcibly take over the lands of the indigenous Nigerians.

He also alleged that Nigeria’s present travail therefore, is actually not one ethnic group against the other but rather should be one of the Nigerian state and Nigerians (including the Nigerian Fulani) against the Non-Nigerian Fulani that are on a mission to conquer our dear country.

Elekima said: “Mr President, the Service Chiefs and the entire security organisations of the country must share in this negligence that has taken thousands of lives and destroyed billions worth of properties.

“If they still fail, refuse or neglect to carry out their primary constitutional duty of the protection of lives and properties of Nigerians, they may wake up one day with no country called Nigeria to govern.

“Cattle business is a private one for private individual cattle owners. The President who is also a cattle owner must excuse himself and indeed the Federal Government from using Federal powers and resources for the sole benefit of his fellow Fulani herdsmen and or cattle owners.

“Whatever genuine challenges our brother Nigerian Fulani herdsmen may have will be manageable as it has been managed for over 100 years without these brazen attempts at land takeover and planting of Fulani all over the country.

“Issue of herdsmen, their cattle and farmers is a local community problem, that is, for the genuine Nigerian Fulani herdsmen.

“So the prescription for these invading Fulani herdsmen is straight forward and simple for the security agents to protect our borders and to repatriate these aliens that have become a security risk and have abused our hospitality.”

He also alleged that Nigerians had, regrettably, “suffered political and economic captivity, tyranny and dictatorship-of-sort and high handedness in governance by some of her sons and daughters entrusted with leadership position at all levels”.

He also noted that tension still abounds after the founding of Nigeria and the heroic struggle of our founding fathers, Nigeria became an independent state in 1960.

“Regrettably, Nigerians have suffered political and economic captivity, tyranny and dictatorship-of-sort and high handedness in governance by some of her sons and daughters entrusted with leadership position at all levels.

“The consequential effects of repression is hunger, unemployment, non-development of communities and rural areas, failed health care, failed economy, failed education, failed housing, failed insecurity, dichotomy, poor sanitation, no water, no light, destruction of the local government, unpaid salaries, unpaid gratuity, unpaid pensions, corruption, kidnapping, rape, assassination, armed robbery etc. This is the reason for the tension.

“Tension is among the masses in the Arewa states as it is among the masses in the West, the East and the South South.

“The tension is the symptom of hunger and deprivation across the land. Any attempt at solution therefore, must have as its primary objective the elimination of hunger and deprivation in our land as much as possible. This is what affects the 170 million Nigerians, leave out the 1 per cent,’’ he said.

Elekima, who also stated that Nigeria’s practice of federation without functional community/ward/city governments “is a half-baked federation”, offered some panacea on good governance.

“Community/ward/city government is the most important component of the overall structure of not only the presidential system but also in a parliamentary system that seeks even development like the United Kingdom.

“The system does not need any amendment to constitution, though desirable, the provision is implied, it is up to the state and local governments to operate it for the public good.

“The states should introduce community/ward/city system of government and distribute powers and resources accordingly.

“The ward/community/city government involves the people in governance. Harmonization, implementation and monitoring committees should be setup at the state and LGA levels with members representing each community or ward as the case may be.

“We can have ward governments made up of one or more communities and town or city governments made up of multiple wards. The focus is mainly grass root government for community development.

“Sharing from the common revenue pot to the ward/community government, guarantees simultaneous grass root development; a (DIY) Do It Yourself Government; Bottom-top management approach.

“The states and LGA’s must fund the ward/community government as follows: 35% of the revenue from the federation account to the state (under all headings), shared by the state directly to the ward/community governments. 35% of the internal generated fund (IGR) to the state should also go to the ward/community government, 65% of local government allocation from the federation account should also be shared to the ward/community government within each local government. 35% of local government internal generated revenue should also be shared to the ward/community government,” he said.

Elekima also said that the funding of the ward/community governments will take into account parameters of equality, population, landmass and derivation in the distribution of revenue.

He stated: “There is no way a governor sitting in a government house can know the state of disrepair of roads and other infrastructure within all the communities in a state timeously: even a one city state like Lagos will still present its challenges.

“This is the reason why the communities are underdeveloped since the governors have to wait for petitions complaining about the need, decay or disrepair of the infrastructure and by the time the red tape is done the road or infrastructure has failed completely.

“However, the ward/community governments can easily construct and maintain roads and other infrastructures within their respective jurisdictions as the need arises or event occurs. The funds are domiciled within the jurisdiction.

“Thus a one inch crack in a road can be fixed before it deteriorates to swimming pool size. Inter-city roads will be maintained by local governments while inter local government roads will be by the state even though the roles of the state and LGA will be greatly reduced if not non-existent from practical point of view.

“There should be established functional ward/community/council offices fully staffed with technical and administrative personnel. This bold step will create functional wards and local governments; state ministry’s now performing more of supervisory oversight functions.”

He said that the state governments must ensure budgeting and projects were guided by the state development plan with the state office coordinating what each tier of government would embark on yearly, but the implementation and funding must be at community government level.

According to him, unimagined opportunities and windows will now be open to the various communities to set up industries based on the raw materials readily available within their respective areas as well as other viable economic ventures either alone or in partnership.

“Believe it, that a directive given that all community governments establish poultry or fish farm, as example, is executed immediately simultaneously. The states will now, in the main, concentrate on the economy and industrialisation. Thus employment will be stimulated and frayed nerves calmed. This is what we should do now.

“When the community/ward is thus empowered with funds, community of herdsmen will know that their priority is to engage in irrigation and the planting of trees to provide grass for their cattle for we know that several communities in desert areas have turned their otherwise harsh environment to oasis of lush greenery.

“Farming communities will likewise expend their funds in areas that will enhance and protect their farm produce. The solution is community based and does not require this imperial intervention by the federal government,’’ he said.

He urged President Buhari to “provide succour to the impoverished masses of this country and the industrialisation of our communities by considering seriously the distribution of 10 per cent of the distributable revenue of the federation direct to the wards to support and persuade the states towards adopting the community system of government”.

Elekima also urged that state governments should be contented with 24 per cent and the local government with 20 per cent while the Federal Government should put in place arrangements to enable it disburse 10 per cent out of its 56 per cent to the wards.

“This Your Excellency (President Buhari), is our humble plea. The RUGA and taking over of Rivers and River Banks will only inflame this country,” Elekima stated.