By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
The position of South east governors on the controversial Ruga policy is not going down well with the Northern political establishment. The presidency says Ruga is the panacea for the incessant farmers-herders’ clashes. Apart from the South east, South south and some states in the South west and North Central have also rejected Ruga.
However, an irresistible bait to sway the zone (South east) from opposition to the Ruga to acceptance of it is in the offing, our sources inform.
It has been gathered that the North sees South east’s emphatic rejection of Ruga as an unpardonable affront on President Muhammadu Buhari and has, therefore, resolved to throw 2023 presidency as a bait to the zone.
The South east is being told that acceptance of Ruga will endear the zone to the Northern power brokers in the two main parties – Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC- for the 2023 presidency.
“They are offering the South east the 2023 presidency in exchange for land for Ruga across the zone”, one of our sources informs.
“But, of course, this is an empty bait. The North is not even ready to let go of power in 2023 much less yielding it to the South east. I’m sure the South east leaders will not fall for this deceit”, he further stated.
The Magazine was told that some critical political egg heads in the North were taken aback by the Chairman of South east Governors’ Forum, Engineer Dave Umahi’s announcement stating the zone’s rejection of Ruga. Reason? They have allegedly assured the Ebonyi governor he was the North’s choice for 2023 presidency and, therefore, expected that he would not allow anything capable of hurting the interest the of region in the South east to sail through.
“They promised him APC presidential ticket for 2023 and depend on him for the protection of North’s interest in the South east. It was, therefore, a huge disappointment on their part to see him announcing Ruga’s rejection in the zone”, another source said.
This magazine has, however, been told of the possibility of Governor Umahi breaking ranks with fellow South east governors to accept Ruga.
“The man may not want to offend his friends. So, don’t be surprised if he later goes solo in the Ruga thing. After all, he only announced South east’s rejection of Ruga on behalf of South east Governors as the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, and not as Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state”, the magazine was told.
Meanwhile, impeccable sources have told this magazine that powerful elements in the North who also pull the levers of power in the presidential villa are determined to ensure that Ruga is established in the South east willy nilly if efforts to lure the zone into accepting the Fulani resettlement policy peacefully fails.
The power brokers are reportedly piqued that the South east, for four years running, has stubbornly remained opposed to the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, hence the mood among the Ruga proponents, The Source has learnt, favours ramming the policy down the throat of the zone by presidential fiat.
Governor Umahi had last Sunday declared that the South east will not permit Ruga (Fulani Herdsmen settlement) in any part of the zone saying there was no land for such settlement.
Rather than Ruga, the South east governors said they have struck a deal with herdsmen to supply grasses to them so that they can rear their cattle in the North in exchange for meat.
