The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has called on the Federal Government to divert funds meant for RUGA project into the National Livestock Plan.
The governor, who made the call on Friday, during the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Makurdi the state capital, said the Ruga project failed in Benue, hence the funds should go into a project that will be useful for people of the state.
“National Livestock was approved by NEC but up till today, the government is not approving money to implement it. But when it was Ruga or Cattle Colony, they hurriedly brought money and they said they started one Ruga in Otukpo and another one in Taka local government.
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“I said that contractor will not come here and thank God my people rose up and resisted the contractor and removed the signboard.
“I am calling on the Federal Government to recover that money they gave the contractor for RUGA (because we rejected it here) and channel that money into the National Livestock Programme so that we can use that money to help our people, including the Fulanis,” Ortom said.
On his part, CAN President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle, said the association has developed a new national document suggesting how Nigerians can coexist peacefully.
