Benue State Government yesterday disclosed its decision to approach the Supreme Court to stop Federal Government from going ahead with Ruga project in the state. Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Terve Akase, who disclosed this while speaking on African Independent Television, AIT programme, Kaakaki said the government had contacted its lawyers to get their papers ready to begin the court process.

He said: “Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mr Garba Shehu, came out to tell the world that Federal Government had gazetted land in all the 36 states. We came out quickly to challenge the Federal Government to show us the document that gazetted land in Benue because the Land Use Act is clear that even the Federal Government will not and cannot invade a state and take land.

“The land has to be given to the Federal Government by the State. Government can only get land for a project for general interest. We don’t have such gazetted land in Benue State. What they are telling the world is not true.

“Benue State Government has already briefed its lawyers to get their papers ready. Federal Government has said the donation of land for the project is voluntary; that the state has its right to pull out of it and they listed Benue as one of the pilot states, and we are saying we don’t want to be part of the pilot states. But if the government insists on siting these Ruga projects in Benue State we will go to court.” However, he called on Mr Buhari not to allow people around him to mislead him over the Ruga project being a man of integrity.

Vanguard