The Christian Association of Nigeria, (CAN), in Southern Nigeria, has issued strong warning to traditional rulers in the region against ceding any part of their land for RUGA settlement.
The Christain body also warned people in the region to be at alert even though the federal government says it has suspended the controversial Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen.
This was made known in a press statement issued by Dr. Joseph Ajujungwa, Secretary of CAN, in the 17 Southern States on Sunday.
The statement urged that the people must not lose sleep, because Ruga may have been suspended “the underground work is still going on.”
The warning to all Southerners is “to be watchful”, adding that “even as we pray, we don’t need to keep quiet; they are experts in underground work.”
“We do not have land to give to anybody as a grazing field or colony and we call on the South East governors to maintain their stand that they do not have such a place. Do you know what it means to give 10 hectares of land to herdsmen? We say no to that.
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“As CAN, we will preach it from our pulpit, every Imam should peach from the mosque and the traditionalists should stand against it; nobody should relent; no land should be given; any traditional ruler that does that should be dethroned.
“In the North, we have the largest hectares of land, very vast that nobody is occupying. Why are they not building the ranches, Ruga of whatever there? They can come here, take grass and go, and we buy cow in exchange, just like the governors said. We do not have such mass land required.”
“CAN is calling on all Christians, all law-abiding citizens of Southern Nigeria to please watch and pray. Watch, means that you must open your eyes to see what is going on and therefore pray; do not relent.
“Anybody that is coming to buy land now, in the name of business, factory, and what have you, let us be cautious in dealing with the person, because their plot is to turn such into colony.”
