The Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Mr. Joseph Lengmang has said for sustainable peace to be attained in Plateau State and the Nation at large, there is need for collaborative efforts by the citizens.
Mr. Lengmang made this known today at the Monthly Media Parley with Journalists at the Corporate Headquarters of the Agency at Liberty Boulevard Jos, Plateau State.

He lauded the critical role played by the Media in peace building by providing the platforms over that years that have made the actualization of the mandate of the agency so far possible.
He said the Monthly parley provides an avenue to interface and interact to come up with ideas that will help in the attainment of sustainable peace as well as how best the agency and the media can continue to synergize and partner to achieve its mandate.
“The Media Practitioners are our Friends because the work we do here in Plateau State wouldn’t had been any impactful without the help and the platform the media has provided over the years”
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with you closely and to watch how some of you have evolved over the Years as we face sets of challenges as far as peace and security is concerned and the complexity of the issues require some forms of understanding, partnership, commitment and sacrifice for us to be able to transform and to overcome”
“We have enjoyed the cooperation and support of the Media over time seeing how the quality of reportage have evolved and the effort that you put into reporting in the way that seeks to douse tension as opposed to escalating tension is quite gratifying”

“We are all affected by the insecurity that we face in our Nation and therefore it behoves on us to work together as partners in order to find a common ground and set of solutions for this insecurity that is plaguing our Nation and some Local Government here in Plateau State” he empathically hinted.
He said peace is essential and the priority of the present administration in the State which informed the decision to establish the Agency.
He stressed that since all Nigerians are affected by the insecurity bedeviling the Nation, it has become imperative for all patriotic citizens to unite and work towards breaking conflict traps.

The Director General commended Gov. Simon Lalong for his commitment to issues of peace and security in the State despite the challenges.
He went further to disclose that Community Peace Architecture exist at local government level comprising of critical stakeholders who converge to discuss salient peace issues and also serve as feedback mechanisms to the Agency in its effort.
He admonished Media Practitioners to concentrate on objective, reliable and factual reportage that will engender greater unity and peace.

A Veteran Journalist, Yemi Kosoko of Channels Television who moderated the parley urged participants to be peacemakers and ensure their reportage are not inciting.

The Media Practitioners said as Agenda Setters and Opinion Moulders, they will ensure what they report are factual and true reflection of happenings as well as work towards ensuring that their reportage deescalate violent conflict.
They said though conflicts are natural, it is pertinent that they are properly managed so that they don’t escalate into crisis which is always the case.
The Media Experts also stressed the need to treat banditry, kidnapping, cattle rustling, gangsterism, cultism and terrorism as criminality. They called on government and security agencies to be more proactive in their response to early warnings in other to mitigate attacks which has always led to wanton killings and destruction of property.
While commending the Plateau State Peace Agency for the mediatory and reconciliatory roles it is playing, they expressed their their readiness and willingness to partner with the Plateau Peace Building Agency towards achieving its mandate.

They said their is need for more community engagements in order for the people to take ownership of the peace building efforts while charging the public to desist from shielding criminal elements in their communities.

They also called for transparency and accountability on the part of government and security agencies in order for it to regain the trust and confidence of the people as regards insecurity.

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DG PPBA, Joseph Lengmang Calls for Collaborative Efforts to Achieve Sustainable Peace