By our Correspondent
Herders, Farmers and Community leaders in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State have resolved to work together to address conflict issues, and promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in various communities in the state.
Leaders of the groups took the decision during a three-day mediation and dialogue peace meeting held in Lafia the Nasarawa State Capital.
The peace and reconciliation meeting which was organized by Mercy Corps in collaboration with Pastoral Resolve under the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace, funded by the United States Agency for International Development, USAID brought together leaders of herders, farmers, and community heads to find lasting solutions to the incessant attacks on communities in Bokkos local government area of Plateau State.
Acting Chief of the Party, Community Initiatives to Promote Peace Mr. Sani Suleiman stated that the choice for Lafia in Nasarawa State was strategic to provide the different groups, the opportunity to express themselves freely on a neutral ground and reach genuine peace and reconciliation.
In an interview, Women Leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria MACBAN in Plateau State Hajiya Hafsat Abubakar stressed the need for deliberate sensitization, forgiveness, and tolerance among the different ethnic and religious groups in the state to entrench lasting peace.
The District Head of Daffo Mr. Dauda Bitrus Maren and the Leader of the Fulani Community in the Mushere District Alhaji Alhassan Ampana Ola noted that they had agreed to set up a twenty-man peace committee comprising ten people each from the herders and farmers to device ways to prevent isolated killings, cattle rustling across the communities and deliberate destruction of crops on farms as well as night grazing.
Also speaking, youth leaders Mr Kefas Malai and Mallam Idris Saidu Adamu gave assurance to set up strong mechanisms to reduce the consumption and use of illicit drugs among the youths as according to them, the practice was largely liable to trigger violence at the slightest provocation
During the meeting, the group leaders also agreed to expose and desist from shielding criminal elements among them and cooperate with government and security agencies to bring the internally displaced persons back to their homes.