There Is No Room For RUGA In Ebonyi, South East ― Umahi
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State, this weekend stressed that nobody in the state and indeed the Southeast geopolitical zone was considering establishing Rural Grazing Area, RUGA, for herdsmen.
According to Umahi, people were playing politics with the security of the state using RUGA to sell their dummy even as he warns against such nefarious development.
Umahi stated this while presenting the 2020 budget to the state House of Assembly at Nkaliki in the Abakaliki local government area of the state.
“I can boldly say that our state is the safest state because the hunters are now being hunted. We have constituted a farmers/ herders committee and they hold a regular meeting to ensure that they live in peace.
“This committee is further decentralized in each of the local government and Development centre to resolve all herders and farmers’ conflict.
“I want to advise those that want to play politics with the security of this state to look for another opportunity. I have said it before now that nobody in Ebonyi state or south-east is considering any RUGA.
We have not talked about that, we have not given any land for it, and so those who are playing cheap politics instead of going to the farm to farm and get something should look for another opportunity.”