The attention of the Youth Coalition for Peace and Good Governance (YCPGG) has been drawn with utter dismay to yet another smear campaign against the peace-loving and high performing Governor of Enugu State by mischief makers over the false and baseless allegation trending on social media that the governor has secretly allocated land for RUGA settlement to Fulani Herdsmen.
In a press release jointly signed by the Coordinator Hon. Ikechukwu Ibeh and the Secretary Engr. Jude Onyema who stressed recently that this cheap blackmail is not only a blatant lie but another joke taken too far by the sponsors, who are abroad at the moment, in a failed attempt to distract the governor and mislead the good people of Enugu State and beyond.
As a formidable youth group, we are fully aware that the South East Governors Forum through its Chairman, Gov. David Umahi, recently declared that there is no plan to establish Ruga settlement in any part of the south-east zone and further denied any plan by governors of the zone to cede any part of their land to Fulani Herdsmen.
Consequently, this mischievous news that Enugu Governor has given land for RUGA secretly to the herders in “Aninri and Nkanu LGAs of Enugu State” is not only unfounded but a cheap blackmail that will fail as usual, because there is nothing like that in the state.
We are aware that those sponsoring this mischievous falsehood on social media from their comfort zone abroad have an ulterior motive to blackmail, misinform and mislead the public, but our candid advice to them is that they should tread with caution and desist from peddling fake news that could undermine the existing peace and good governance in Enugu State.
YCPGG strongly believes that the South East governors, who always speak with one voice, will sooner or later reaffirm their position on the issue of RUGA settlement which has already been suspended by the federal government.
We therefore assured the detractors that the second term of Gov. Ugwuanyi will surely end in praise.
Source: Vanguard online.
In that same strain, Enugu community, Miyetti Allah, others deny herders, cattle expulsion as confirmed by the police statement that no such incident occurred as Gov. Ugwuanyi, heads of security agencies visit Nenwe community in Aninri.
The people of Agbada Nenwe in Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, members of the Hausa/Fulani community and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the South East zone, have denied the video trending on social media over the purported expulsion of some herders and their cattle out of the community.
It would be recalled that the Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police had in the wake of the news report on social media denied that no such incident occurred, explaining that after a preliminary investigation, it was revealed that what transpired was “only the movement of cattle and herders from Cross River State through Uburu in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and a neighboring town for grazing”.
The police further stated that “such transit had nothing to do with escorting herders and their cattle out of Agbada Nenwe community”.
Speaking when Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State led the State Commissioner of Police, the Director of Department of State Services (DSS), the Garrison Commander, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, the State Commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, and other relevant stakeholders, to Agbada Nenwe recently, on a fact-finding visit, the traditional ruler of the community, HRH Igwe Dr. Francis Imo, said the video is untrue, stressing that “nobody drove the Fulani community out of Agbada Nenwe”.
The monarch disclosed that they enjoy cordial relationship with the Fulani community, adding that “no cow has ever been killed in this kingdom, no Fulani man has ever been hurt”.
According to him, “we have continued to maintain peace as directed by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who has always urged all the traditional rulers to maintain the security and unity of the country, to make sure that we live peacefully with one another”.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Aninri LGA, Hon. Ezekiel Chukwu, said that immediately he got wind of the rumour he “rushed to the community with the security agencies in the council and could not establish the occurrence of such incident”.
The council chairman assured the indigenes of the community and Aninri LGA to continue to go about their normal business without any fear or panic, saying: “We are assuring you that we will continue to maintain peace and security of lives and property”.
On their part, the leaders of the Northern community and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, South East zone, who appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi for his commitment to peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians resident in Enugu State, pointed out that they have not come across any herder or Fulani man who has complained that he was molested or chased out from the community.
In his presentation, the Sarkin Hausawa, Enugu State, Alhaji Abukakar Yusuf Sambo, said: “We have been enjoying peaceful co-existence in Enugu State and we are here to say that mischief makers will not succeed”.
In his submission, the Chairman of MACBAN, South East Zone, Alh. Gidado Siddiki, who frowned at the development, cautioned against “the harm our individual or group unruly act can cause the wider society beyond our immediate environment”.
According to him, “it is my sincere plea that while we genuinely seek our individual or group interests, we encourage collective good of all and healthy cohesion for virile nationhood.
“I wish to thank the government of Enugu State and indeed the governments of the South East states for their role in nurturing cordiality amongst residents of their states and other persons whose businesses are of economic value”.
Responding, Gov. Ugwuanyi, who stated that the delegation has found out from the presentations by the leaders of Agbada Nenwe and Northern communities, MACBAN, and Nigeria Police, that the said video is not true, appealed to those who are peddling false news about Enugu State to note that Enugu is a very peaceful state.
The governor maintained that “Enugu State, as we declared during our first ever Oganiru Investment Summit, is open for business and a home for all”, and reassured both the indigenes and non-indigenes of the community that the state is secure and remains one of the most peaceful state in the country.
“As a government, we assure and reassure both the indigenes and non-indigenes of this community that Enugu State is secure and remains one of the most peaceful states in the country”, he said.
