From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Director General of Plateau State Peace Building Agency, Mr. Joseph Lengmang said the agency is working in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to sustain the current peace in the state.
He noted that the agency has put in place a thematic plan for safe return of displaced persons to their ancestral homes.
Lengmang disclosed this in Thursday during a monthly media parley with Journalists at the Agency headquarters in Jos, Plateau State.
He explained that the agency has step up it efforts in stemming the tides of farmer/herders conflict in the state, particularly now that the raining season is approaching.
“The farmer/herders conflict has evolve over the years and we have learned alot of lessons and we are still learning up to this point and I believed that the media has a critical role to play in this regards to douse tension.
“The Peace Building Agency has done alot in terms of training to pull the herders and farmers over the years, where a platform was created to share ideas and sometimes even to disagree because disagreement form an integral parts of dialogue and they only disagree for them to agree.
“We have build consensus over the years and we have seen the benefits of that kind of negotiation between farmers and herders across the 17 local government areas of Plateau State, we must consolidate on the successes we have recorded and we must remind the stakeholders that there is need for us to sustain the successes.”
Lengmang advised the stakeholders that despites the disagreement and fight, it is in the strategic interest of the people to love in peace regardless of religion, ethnicity and political affiliations.
He applauded the GIZ for it enormous financial support which enable the agency to provide various platforms for herders and farmers to meet on monthly basis to address issues confronting them.
Lengmang expressed gratitude over the emerging successes recorded so far from such interventions and said the herders and farmers in a community in Shendam Local Government Area put together their resources and sank a borehole to provide portable water for the community.
He called on other communities in the state to emulate such collaborative relationship to foster peaceful co-existence in their respective communities.
“This laudable initiative have begin to emerge because of how the Peace Building Agency has expose the people to conflict resolution mechanism and peace building, today we are beginning to see some of the success stories, we are not saying that there are no bad eggs.” He stated.
Lengmang appreciated Journalists for the coverage of the 2023 elections in the state and expressed gratitude that the election came with no violence in the state.