Synod Asks FG To Use RUGA Settlement Funds For Benue IDPs

The Synod of the All Nations’ Evangelism Ministry wants the federal government to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Benue State and find a permanent solution to the attacks on farmers rather than constructing 1,000 housing units for herders.

The chairman of the synod and national president of the Christian Association of Clerics, Archbishop Yimam Orkwar, made the call during the 3rd quarter session for 2023. The event was organised for clerics of the faith.

In a communique it issued yesterday, the church said, “We continue to reject every move by the federal government to bring RUGA settlement in disguise in the state.”

It called on the federal government to reconsider Benue in its decision to build 1000 houses for herders bearing in mind that the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law operating in the state has sufficiently taken care of land acquisition for ranching.

It said, “The most important and first step now is for the FG to look into the plight of the over 2 million IDPs in the state by rehabilitating them from the trauma they went through, reconstructing their destroyed homes and resettling them back to their ancestral homes.”

The communique also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfill the N10billion promise made by the past administration through the former vice president Yemi Osinbajo, for the rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement of the displaced persons in Benue.

The communique reads, “The Synod consider as very disturbing the recent policy  of the FG of Nigeria to build 1000 housing units across selected states of the federation including Benue which gave priority to establishment of ranches  in a state like Benue where victims  of herdsmen attacks are still in camps and we are calling on the FG to reconsider its decision and provide adequate security for the IDPs to go back to their ancestral homes.”

While appealing to the administration of President Bola Tinubu to leave no stone unturned in its efforts to address the enormous challenges confronting Nigerians in all sphere of life, the communique also said synod frowned at the increasing cases of insecurity in the country, especially kidnapping for ransom, even as it urged security agencies to go extra mile in securing the country.

“We also want to re-echo the pains of millions of Nigerians who have been subjected to sudden and untold hardship as a result of the subsidy removal policy of the FG, we therefore call on the National Economic Team to cushion the effect of the hardship policy and make life more meaningful for all Nigerians,” the communique stated.