Plateau state is set to partner with the Federal Government to preserve national monuments in the state to boost tourism. This was disclosed by the commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Abraham Yiljap in Jos.

The commissioner was speaking in an interactive session with newsmen after the inspection of four sites declared as historical monuments by the Federal Government as part of activities to mark the country’s centenary celebration.

Plateau state is set to partner with the Federal Government to preserve national monuments in the state to boost tourism. This was disclosed by the commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Abraham Yiljap in Jos.

The commissioner was speaking in an interactive session with newsmen after the inspection of four sites declared as historical monuments by the Federal Government as part of activities to mark the country’s centenary celebration.

He said “We are working hand in hand with the Federal Government through the National Commission for Museums and Monuments and we are very appreciative of the work that has gone into rediscovering these sites. What the professionals have done is to bring them out to the larger public; even the communities that are hosting them did not realise the treasures that they had”.

He added “And for the Plateau State Government, we will need to work to preserve these sites; as you have seen here, it is great history that is below the ground here. And the whole of this area would need to be secured – that is about 10 square acres – we have to do that together with the Federal Government”.

Yiljab said that the monuments were of great significance to Plateau and Nigeria in general as it has historical and educational values. He said that Plateau state Government will mount a strong campaign to educate its people on the need to appreciate their culture.

According to him “You need to teach the people their history because if you don’t teach people their history they tend to forget; sometimes we just walk around thinking that we are people of no great value. And that it is only what others do that is important to us”.

“So, the Plateau State Government will embark on a campaign that will show the people of the state and Nigeria that they are people of very high value and that our ancestors did some great and marvellous things which we are discovering now. We will sensitise them to the need to take it from that position and move forward as a people,” he said.

The commissioner said that the campaign will encourage people worldwide to be part of the heritage tourism in Plateau. He added that the Government will establish a state museum to enable it preserve its historical artefacts.

The Chief Archaeologist and Head of Research of the National Museum in Jos, Mr Jude Anebi said that the monuments would help debunk the racist theory that Africa was a dark continent and that it was not developed and had no high technology. He added that the iron smelting furnaces at Mista Ali, about 18 kilometres away from Jos, were an indication that high technology was in use long before the coming of the Europeans to Africa.

He said “We have something to buttress the fact that Africa and Nigeria, and especially Plateau State is a place where development was going on. Not just development but high technology and that with that knowledge of technology we were able to defend ourselves, we were able to embark on agriculture, able to embark on economic development of diverse kinds.”

He added that the remaining three places declared as national monuments in the state are the Nafok tourist site, Langalanga footbridge constructed in 1930, and the first two-storey building constructed by defunct Barclays Bank currently housing Union Bank in Jos.

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Plateau to partner FG in preserving national monuments in the state