Opinion: The Ruga controversy By – EZE ONYEKPERE

Eze Onyekpere([email protected]; 08127235995)

Since the coming to power of the Buhari administration, the country has been enmeshed in the controversy of the challenge of animal husbandry, specifically on the movement, feeding and management of cows. It all started with the undue escalation of tension between herdsmen and farmers, caused primarily by herdsmen running riot over farmlands, destroying crops and livelihoods. The conflict led to loss of thousands of lives and destruction of property.

Let me state clearly that cattle farming or herding is a wonderful opportunity to create a long value chain that includes the production of beef and its derivates, diary, hides and skin and the associated back end in grasses, feeds and farm implements. It also creates jobs for veterinary doctors, research scientists, transporters, etc.  When properly managed, it could generate over a million jobs and add an extra N1 trillion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. But how have we managed this wonderful opportunity?

It appears that we have converted this opportunity, to not just a threat, but a weakness and crisis of incredible proportions. Evidently, this opportunity has become a headache.

It is imperative to clarify that leadership is pivotal in the harnessing of every opportunity or the management of crisis. Even in the worst of disasters, a country’s leadership rallies the populace to confront the challenges with equanimity and dogged determination, where all the citizens work together for the common good. But the missing link in this crisis is that society has been divided into a “we” and “them” fault lines.

Sadly the Nigerian leadership is not embarrassed by this development. It has failed to take uniting steps to rally society around the common goals of protection of lives and property, improving cattle production, yields and the value chain. The refusal of the Federal Government and the security agencies to bring to account persons who committed murder, arson, destruction of the property of others, etc. points in this direction. Again, states from where these herdsmen come from have pretended that they have no solution to crisis – in terms of developing pasture and water resources and re-ordering nomadic livelihood to a settled one.

Various issues have been thrown up by the herdsmen challenge. There are theories about an old cattle route that runs from the North to the South of Nigeria, which has been there from colonial times. It states that the routes and cattle’s right of way have now been overtaken by development of farms, buildings and other developmental structures. The proponents of this school of thought believe that the solution to the crisis is the reactivation of the old route. But this school of thought misses the point, which is that if there was such a route, it did not survive the Land Use Act which now vests all the land in the governor of a state as a trustee for the real owners of the land.

Again, there is no evidence that those routes were created by the colonialists with the consent of the landowners. There is no land in Nigeria that is not owned by an individual, a family or a community. The English law concept of bona vacantia has no equivalent in Nigerian law as it is a legal fixation of imperialism and domination. So, such a cattle route cannot work in the Nigeria of today.

Elementary economics teaches that land is a key factor of production. Land is the wealth and major source of value of many traditional communities as it provides them the space to farm and engage in their artisanal work. Even the urbane and rich have a good chunk of their investments in lands, either as vacant or built-up lands. The fixation of land having little or no value except for unexhausted improvements and developments on it, which has been introduced by the Land Use Act, is the greatest lie of the century. Land is intrinsically valuable and any attempt to deny same will be standing facts upside down.

The second thought process rotates between ranching and “Ruga” settlements, which is the new one added in the last couple of weeks. There is nothing wrong and everything is right in the idea of ranching or a settlement for nomadic herdsmen as the nomadic style of cattle rearing can no longer be accommodated in modern day life. However, the attempt by the Federal Government to use its power and good will to forcefully acquire land in any state of Nigeria for herdsmen is what most Nigerians find objectionable.

Nigerians recall the arrogance of Femi Adesina, the spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, who in the heat of murderous herdsmen killing hundreds of Nigerians, told us that it is either land owners forfeit their land or go down six feet. Cattle-rearing is private business. The owners will make profits and pocket the money. Thus, anyone interested in the cattle business can look for land and negotiate with the owners either for outright purchase or a lease and use same to rear his animals. Anyone can invest in cattle, just like any other business in Nigeria. However, government can facilitate cattle rearing through financial and other support, just like the Bank of Industry and the Central Bank of Nigeria had dedicated funds for crops and other farming activities. These funds are not free funds.  Farmers borrow at low interest rates but are bound to pay back.

Land can only be acquired under the Land Use Act for public purposes and public purposes has been clearly defined to relate to such matters like land needed for hospitals, schools, stadiums, etc. No one is permitted to acquire private land for private purposes. In other words, you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. Any governor who attempts that will be violating the letters and spirit of the Land Use Act. There is also judicial precedent which has overturned such land acquisition.State governments cannot therefore use executive power to acquire private lands for the benefit of cattle rearing.

In the northern part of Nigeria, where most of the cattle owners come from, there is enough land which can be put to use for cattle rearing. This is the part of Nigeria with greatest land mass and over 50 per cent of the land area has not been put to use. It is not even all the states in the north that are faced with desertification and lack of rains. Niger State, for instance, is about 76,363 square kilometres and home to the great Shiroro and Kainji dams. It has water and provides the environment for all year-round farming and cattle rearing. Compare this with Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states with a combined land are of 29,525square kilometres, which is less than 40 per cent of the size of Niger State. Armed with this fact, a reasonable Federal Government still calls on these states to provide land for cattle rearing! It is a not a fair call. It is unreasonable, outrageous and an unconscionable call. The call is being made on states with virtually the highest population densities on their land. The notorious Sambisa forest, which has been captured from Boko Haram, is so large that it can accommodate over 30 per cent of the cattle roaming freely across the country.

In the final analysis, the Federal Government in collaboration with state governments, from where these herdsmen come from, should take steps to stop this crisis. It is within their reach and resources. The crisis is contrived and unnecessary. Punch