Stakeholders commend  Lalong’s efforts towards ensuring lasting peace 

By Golok Nanmwa ,Jos

Major Stakeholder of Plateau state has  commended the effort of the Governor of the  State Hon Simon  Lalong towards security provisioning and urged him not to despair in the face of these renewed attacks but to explore and expand momentum for conflict prevention and Peace building in the state. 

This was contained in communique issued at the end of a three day peace and security conference in Plateau state .

Joseph Lengmang the Director General of the Plateau peace building agency who read the communique  said “The meeting appreciated the effort of the Plateau State governor Rt. Hon Simon  Lalong for creating the Plateau Peace Building Agency PPBA as the foremost institutional framework dedicated to conflict prevention and peace building in the Country and called on the government and other relevant stakeholders to support the Agency to deliver on its mandate.

 “The governor’s decision to set up two separate committees to ensure the safe return and resettlement of the victims of violent conflict was equally applauded”

 It also reads that  that that the security challenges in Plateau state is not limited to farmer/herder conflict. 

However the farmer/herder conflict presents a significant threat to peace and security in the entire state and the nation at large.

It could be recalled against the backdrop of the resurgences of violent attacks in some parts of Plateau state, a Three-day Peace and Security conference was organized by the Plateau State Peace Building Agency with a view to take a critical review of the Peace and security architecture of the state as well as proffer practical suggestions on how we can collectively address the emerging trend.

Our correspondent reports that  The Peace and Security conference was organized in conjunction with the United States’ Institute of Peace and with support from the US Embassy in Nigeria and Mercy Corps .

The theme of the conference- Resurgence of Violent Conflict in Plateau State: Forging a Multi-stakeholder Partnership for Peace is part of the broader effort of the Plateau State government through the Peace Building Agency to facilitate an open and frank discussion between stakeholders and conflict parties with a view to build a new social compact for Peace and security in Plateau state.

Our correspondent also reports that the highly interactive conference was structured into power point presentation, panel discussion and plenary which provided for question and answer sessions. It was also expected to suggest proactive and realistic measures that would help to reduce or mitigate the return of violent conflict in the state. Participants were drawn from relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Civil Society Organizations, Traditional institutions, religious bodies, women and youth organizations as well as the media amongst several others. 

 The communique reads that ” The conference unanimously condemned the resurgence of violent attacks in some communities across the state describing it as regrettable and totally unacceptable. And also commiserated with the victims of the unfortunate incidence.”

 It was unanimously agreed that there is gap between early warning and early response in the state and this gap was partly responsible for the resurgence of violent attacks.

” In addition the poor, and in some cases absence of interagency cooperation has significantly diminished the capacity of security agencies to tackle head-on the growing challenges of Peace and security in Plateau state.”

“We established that the security challenges in Plateau state is not limited to farmer/herder conflict. However the farmer/herder conflict presents a significant threat to peace and security in the entire state and the nation at large. Yet it would appear that there is no any concrete policy response to this problem at the state and national levels.”

Participants also  lauded PPBA for organizing the conference stressing that the theme of the conference was apt and couldn’t have come at a better time in view of the deteriorating security situation in the state.

Lengmang also said ” It was observed that there is a growing suspicion and distrust between some local communities and the security agencies and this was largely as a result of unprofessional conduct of some security personnel. This development has given rise to a conspiracy of silence in most rural communities as evident in their unwillingness to volunteer information to security agencies. This has further exacerbated the already precarious situation.”

“It was established that the strength of security personnel in the state is grossly inadequate to effectively provide physical security to a vast majority of the citizens and especially in the rural communities which is why they are often vulnerable to violent attacks. ”

“There is need to checkmate the excesses of religious leaders or clerics who use the pulpit to instigate their followers to follow the paths of violence through their sermons and unguarded utterances was also stressed.

” Unemployment was identified as one of the push factors for youth engagement in violence hence the need for government and other non-state actors to create opportunities for youth to be gainfully employed.”

“It was also noted that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has become a motivating factor to the culture of violence. Hence the need for relevant agencies of government to check the menace.”

    “Participants resolved that the practice by the Police of transferring arrested cases of people caught with weapons or alleged to have carried out violent attacks in Plateau State to Abuja for further investigation should be stopped and such investigations be carried out within the state. This is one of the reasons that creates distrust and suspicion that drags the neutrality of security agencies into question.”

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Stakeholders commend  Lalong’s efforts towards ensuring lasting peace