TheCable

Abdullahi Bodejo, national president of Miyetti Allah Kautel Hore, says every state in the country deserves Ruga.

In an interview with TheSun, Bodejo said Fulani is the largest ethnic group in the country and ought to be given places to settle all over the country.

He also urged Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno state, to fulfil his promise of donating parts of Sambisa forest to herders.

“If Borno State governor says he has given the Fulani Sambisa forest to go and settle, let him start to implement it, but it should not be a thing for politics,” he said.

“Fulani are ready to collect not only Sambisa; every state in this country should give the Fulani someplace to settle, as they are the largest ethnic group in Nigeria.

“They are so many that three states cannot accommodate them. Let every governor; both in the north and the south carve out an area for the Fulani in their respective states.”

Bodejo dismissed the claims that the Ruga scheme is an attempt to Islamise the country.

“If a Yoruba, an Igbo or any other ethnic group were the president and Ruga is to be implemented, nobody will raise an eyebrow,” he said.

“The reason they are saying this is because President Muhammadu Buhari is a Fulani and as I said earlier, people are trying to be playing politics with anything that concerns Fulani.

“But if we say give these people a place to stay and let there be peace in the country, why can’t you do that? Why the government is supporting crop farmers with billions of naira, have we shouted; how much have they given to the Fulani cattle rearers to go and do their business, nobody is talking about that one.”

The federal government had suspended the scheme following widespread criticism but states such as Zamfara and Adamawa have accepted it.