Much has been made of President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to suspend the RUGA settlements implementation as opposed to the National Livestock Transformation Plan, NLTP, developed by the National Economic Council and approved by the Federal Government. A senior official familiar with the matter explained that the President on hearing about the RUGA matter first expressed surprise about the programme, and then anger on finding that it was different from the NLTP which NEC and the FG had agreed on.

The insider source revealed that the president then ordered a swift review of what RUGA was about and sought clarifications on its connection with the NLTP. The Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, according to sources had also strongly resisted the RUGA plan, arguing that it made nonsense of the NLTP, a very deliberate and elaborate plan developed by NEC, under his watch, and a plan which the FG had okayed. When news about RUGA broke, it immediately raised widespread controversy as State Governors and other interests expressed surprise and a consternation regarding how it was developed and the fact that there were no consultations with States especially regarding land, which according to the law are vested in the Governors.

Source: Punch