Thread by @ChidiOdinkalu

1 good thing abt the on-going controversy over #RUGAMania in #Nigeria is it has brought attention back to what cn be done to address the herder-farmer crises. Since ystrday, a few more ppl have askd me abt the National Livestock Transformation Plan #NLTP. Here's a little more....

The #NLTP process began in 2016 led by @AuduOgbeh's Fed Ministry of Agriculture & with support from the Vice-President, @ProfOsinbajo, who chairs the National Economic Council (NEC). The NEC, in turn, includes all state governors in its members.

The struture & process was inclusive. Consultations took place at state & zonal levels, culminating in a national conference 11-15 Sept 2017 in Abuja with over 770 participants. The National Conference adopted a report which was transmitted to @AuduOgbeh in December 2017

The National Conference agreed a consensus plan to transform #Nigeria's livestock sector anchored on ranching, subject to following 6 preparatory steps:
1 Land allocation
2 Ranch size models
3 Pasture & Fodder Production
4 Breed Improvement
5 Access to Finance
6 Infrastructure

The conference proposed a #NLTP as a "first phase of a long term
transformation process of the livestock industry" with a tenure of 10 yrs, 2018-2027. Upon adoption by the NEC in Jan 2019, it's tenure was adjusted to 2019-2028
thecable.ng/nec-approves-n…

The #NLTP was designed to be comprehensive & inclusive with 6 pillars respectively addressing strategic communications; criminal justice/security; economic investment; humanitarian; conflict stabilization & coexistence; & cross-cutting themes.
vanguardngr.com/2018/06/fg-rol…

The #NLTP addressed different things. Take ranching for instance. What it proposes is "a compete departure from the past failed ranching attempts in that they will be business-orientated rathe than public orientated in both ownership & management."

States signed up because the #NLTP promised them that each state "needs to undertake a detailed implementation plan arrangement that suits their peculiarities." There was no suggestion of federal diktat.

The #NLTP extensively dealt with the issue of conflict stabilization & resolution including the problem of Small Arms & Light Weapons (SALWs), offering also the promise of "inclusive dialogue in support of peaceful coexistence."

Recognising that land is a controversial issue in this process, all the Governors in the #NLTP process agreed that "States & LGAs shd establish starte & LG committees on land administration & management." There was to be no federal #LandGrab.

There is also a #LawAndOrder element in the #NLTP under the #CriminalJustice Pillar, which undertakes to model & pilot Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) processes in the 7 pilot States within in support of stabilization & sensible coexistence

So, when they approved the NLTP in January 2019, the NEC also designated 7 states for take off of implementation, namely: Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau, Taraba, & Zamfara. The States voluntarily offered to put in their resources & assets.

While they all offered money, difft states also offered difft things. Benue State, for instance, offered land NOT for #GrazingReserve or Ruga but for fodder production, which cld be sold to other states. In effect, the #NLTP offered to grow an internal market in Livestock Biz.

This #NLTP was implementable, the pay-offs were huge & it had enough in it to carry all parts of the country along constructively but some folks withn & close to @NGRPresident saw an opportunity to make #bloodmoney & quickly got the Cabinet to approve vast sums for Ruga contracts

The Cabinet approved these sums in the twilight of the last tenure knowing there wld be no oversight of the spends; the money was not appropriated & the contracts all got #DueProcess waivers. Ruga is not just a story of overreach, it is also a tale of awful corruption & sleaze.