The Coadjutor Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Most Rev. Dr. Ignatius Kaigama, has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not to impose Ruga ( Fulani settlements) on local communities.
The clergy who was answering questions from journalists after he administered the Sacrament of Confirmation on 400 parishioners at SS Peter and Paul, Nyanya, Abuja, on Sunday, said the establishment of the Fulani herders colonies in states across the north central Nigeria should not be by a proclamation from the top.
“This is a matter that needs to be seriously discussed. It is not a matter for the pages of the newspaper. It has to be given a serious thought and consideration.“
“You don’t decree peace, you don’t decree order. You brew it, you generate it by good will and god actions and I hope that the necessary stakeholders are involved and this is not just a proclamation from the top. The people need to sit at the grassroots and address these issues concretely, objectively and for the interest of all of us in Nigeria. I think we need to do a lot of talking,” he said.
He also called for collaborative efforts to end extreme poverty in the country.
“I have experience overtime, the number of people I meet in the villages and those who come to my office seeking material help is incredible,” he said, adding that time has come to join forces, spiritual and material, to defeat poverty.
The Archbishop said the religious leaders have done their part and he expected politicians to also do their own part.
