The Presidency has said that the controversial herdsmen settlement plan called RUGA is the same thing as ranching.
Many stakeholders favour ranching as they see open grazing as having potential to cause further crises between herdsmen and farmers/natives.
The introduction of RUGA has, however, been greeted with suspicion, fear and protest, with many saying it was a ploy to create Fulani colonies across the country.
But speaking on the matter on Monday night, Senior Special Adviser on Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Garba Sheu, said RUGA was the same thing as ranching.
He expressed the displeasure that some people were deliberately exploiting the policy to spread falsehood.
According to him, it is a voluntary scheme, as the FG is not imposing it on any state.
He decried the opposition that , he believes, Benue State Government was mounting, saying it had no business in the matter since it never applied for the scheme.
“The Federal Government is asking state governments if they want to be part of it. There is no compulsion in the whole of this,” Garba said.
