RUGA: An unadulterated MONKEY Business - Ik Muo, PhD

RUGA: An unadulterated MONKEY Business

Ik Muo, PhD. Department of Business Administration, OOU, Ago-Iwoye

   08033026625; muoigbo@yahoo.com, muo.ik@oouagoiwoye.edu.ng

There are many definitions of a monkey business but in the ‘operational definition of terms’ for this treatise, it is an issue that raises more questions than answers; a shenanigan or something shrouded in deceit, leading the more you look the less you see scenario. Literary folks usually talk about narratives and how people at times, consciously or unconsciously change these narratives. A lot of the narratives around the herdsmen has been changed of late. Up till two years ago, it was normal to speak about Fulani herdsmen; but not anymore. Now, they are just herdsmen. These non-Fulani herdsmen would invade communities, murder, maim, rape, raze and at times occupy (The original scorched earth model) but we call it farmers herders clash. How can a farmer with a hoe clash with a deadly armed troop? How many of the herders have been killed in these numerous farmers-herders clash? (And we even put the farmers first so that its farmers-herders; not herders-farmers).

 And then, we were told that the herdsmen, who are no longer Fulani’s and who do nothing more than just ‘clash’ with farmers, are no longer Nigerians. On May 13, 2016, our dear president declared in faraway London that the murderous and rampaging herdsmen were not Nigerians and he was sure that they were from Libya! He restated this assertion during his bilateral talks with Donald Trump, the author and finisher of ‘trumpocracy’ in Washington on 30/4/18, absolving Nigerian herdsmen (not Fulani Herdsmen) of any criminal capabilities and tendencies. In May 2017, Mr. Audu Ogbe ‘supporting the motion’ also informed that the killer-herdsmen were foreigners (I do not know whether he really believed that).  He was speaking at a town-hall meeting at Abuja, where he also revealed the plans by the government to stop the illegal entry of herdsmen into Nigeria (I don’t know how far they have gone with the plan). In September 2016, the grand Muslim of Nigerian, the Sultan of Sokoto declared with a royal finality that the ‘so called Fulani herdsmen moving with guns, causing violence, fighting with farmers are not Nigerians, but foreign terrorists. This was in his 2016 Eid el-Kabir message to the Nigerian Muslims. The Book says   that a matter can only established by the testimonies of two or three witnesses (Deuteronomy, 19:55 and 2 Cor. 13:1). So, it is proved beyond all reasonable doubts that these herdsmen are not Nigerians. QED, QEF!

 However, the Nigerian government has been treating these foreign herdsmen with unusual leniency. The presidency asked Nigerians to be accommodative towards them, not to retaliate the attacks and the minister of Agriculture even planned to import grass from Brazil for these illegal foreign herdsmen and their foreign cattle. Of course, Nigerians cannot attack these foreign herdsmen because the security forces would always come immediately after the attacks to keep the peace and make the ‘no stone will be left unturned’ declaration (That is if there are still any stones remaining unturned at all!) This is a situation in which illegal immigrant have more privileges and receive more compassionate consideration than the sons of the soil. It was and is very worrisome and I don’t know whether it has anything to do with the fact that PMB is a ‘namapreneure’

 

(an entrepreneur specializing in nama and related affairs) because the book says that where your wealth is, there your heart also is (Mt,6:21). These stories did not add up, but the longsuffering Nigerians accepted these emergent narratives and developments in good faith

 However, when this RUGA dimension reared its controversial head, Nigerians sparked!

The size of a typical RUGA settlement is said to be about that of an average Nigerian Local Government. So, what this means is that the FGN will just, by fiat, create about 200+ extra modern Fulani exclusive settlements in Nigeria, with our collective resources, with our collective land. And this is in a country where people are regularly harassed out of the land which they have duly acquired for, commercial and social purposes. (Next week)

 Other Matters: Re 1: Discos, Signs and Wonders; 2: Checkpoints & ease of travelling

On 27/6/19, I narrated how the IBEDC dealt with us at Ijebuode and specifically, how our bill   for the block of flats rose from N1500 to N12000 within 3 months and without any changes in the supply dynamics or consumption fundamental of the residents. Well, for July, I received a bill N3500, for an apartment which I was billed an average of N500 four months ago! I assure you on my honour that nothing changed in my consumption pattern. In fact, in the month in question, I was ‘out of stock’ for more than half of that period!  Anyway, we have strategized and decided to say no to this process of monkey de work. We are searching for prepaid meter, by fire by force.

 Last week, I narrated how I spent 10 hours on a journey that would have taken 6hours+ because policemen were searching for Fulani herdsmen inside the boots and documents of vehicles, to the extent that we encountered up to 50 police toll-gates, at times, less than 500 meters apart. Well, my return journey revealed another aspect of this police toll-gate business. I travelled from Igbo-Ukwu through Onitsha to Ijebu-Ode within 5 hours; driving at an oldie’s speed. When I was going down east, it took 8-9 hours. But the main issue is that there was no police checkpoint on the return journey from Onitsha to Ijebu-ode! Even the Customs and FRSC did not bother with those on the Onitsha-Lagos route but they were (and still are) all working over- time on the Lagos-Onitsha route. Does it mean that herdsmen, smugglers and traffic offenders only operate on one side of the road? Well, here’s the simple reason. Those travelling home are still ‘loaded’ and they are in a hurry to get to their destination. They are thus more willing-and capable- to provide the white chalks for the sacrifices! Those on the return journey have exhausted their resources and the hurry-hurry tendencies are less. Nigerian police, I hail!