From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Benue state Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has said that the administration under his watch is committed to peaceful coexistence and the protection of human rights of all citizens in the state.
Governor Alia who stated this Government House on Thursday, during the event to mark the 2023 International Peace Day said it was part of his campaign promises to offer hope for the future and development of Benue and Nigeria as a whole.
The Governor who described peace as not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of harmony, understanding and justice, explained that his administration has institutionalized a framework to support peace building and peace enforcement initiatives in the state.
He said he has been interfacing with a plethora of local and international organizations, including agencies of the United Nation, (UN), with the aim of establishing a robust foundation for peace in the state.
Alia stated further that the administration has equally strengthened the state’s Commission for Peace and Reconciliation to serve as the main instrument for the actualization of the peace framework, saying several peace initiatives, including that of creating the right atmosphere for the return and resettlement of internally displaced persons, (IDPs) in the state as well as ways of reducing violent conflicts are been considered.
He said traditional rulers and Community Based Organizations, as well as other critical stakeholders in peacebuilding have all been carried along in the efforts to foster peace in the State, explaining that keen attention has also been given to conflict hotspots in Ukum, Oju, Konshisha and Gwer as well as at border areas such as Ebonyi and Cross River states in order to create an environment conducive for growth and development.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for working assiduously with relevant partners and stakeholders with the aim of ensuring peace in Nigeria, and called on the international community to lend their invaluable support to the State, through technical expertise, financial contributions as well as by sharing best practices that will not only resolve conflicts in the state and country, but will also prevent their recurrence.
Earlier, the leader of the 2023 International Peace Day and pioneer Director General of the Benue State Peace and Reconciliation Commission, Mrs. Josephine Habba, appreciated Governor Alia for making himself available for the 2023 International Day of Peace, saying the day has never had the presence of a governor during its celebration.
She said the Benue Peace Commission is working closely with the government and all the international partners to ensure that the governor’s desire to resettle the IDPs to their ancestral homes is achieved.
Habba called on Governor Alia and the commissioner for Education in the State, to ensure the reintroduction of Peace Clubs in all schools in the state.
In their separate goodwill messages, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as the Benue Non-Governmental Organization Network (BENGONET), Mercy Corps, Benue Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Industry (BECCIMA), Benue Peace and Security Community of Practice, among other, made cases for the IDPs, farmers and the vulnerable ones in the society
The theme for this year’s celebration is “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the Global Goals”.
Our correspondent reports that earlier in the day, NGOs, had staged an peace rally round Makurdi town. While the Mercy Corps took off from the High Level roundabout and walked through Tito Gate to Government House, the Peace Commission and others including students drawn from various schools in Makurdi, all joined the walk at Woodland Park to Government House where they were received by Government officials.