TheCable

Bello Matawalle, Zamfara state governor, has ordered for the immediate commencement of construction work on the new Ruga settlements in the state.

Matawalle issued the directive on Saturday in Gusau after receiving the new Ruga master plan from Emmanuel Ozigi, the project consultant.

“This project which is going to be located in the three senatorial districts of the state will be fully and jointly funded by the state government and the 14 local government councils of the state,” he said.

“It is also aimed at showcasing to the world that the peace process embarked by this administration is working.

“It is also to show the appreciation of the state government to the Fulanis and its commitment to meeting the yearnings of the Fulanis.

“The Ruga project will not only be beneficial to the Fulanis but all citizens of the state as the derivable benefits are enormous and a way of boosting the economy of the state and its citizens.”

The governor said that already, the required funds for the scheme had already been earmarked and set aside.

Matawalle said the federal government will still go on with its own Ruga settlement programme after the state’s pilot scheme.

The governor ordered that contractors source for all their materials and manpower locally “so that wealth can go round”.

Earlier, the project consultant who presented the master plan said the project would include access roads, landscaping, grazing reserves, primary and secondary schools, Islamiyya schools, Mosques, hospitals, veterinaries and abattoir.

The federal government had proposed the Ruga initiative as a solution to the clash between herdsmen and farmers.