President Bola Tinubu has intensified efforts to restore peace in Plateau State by sending a special emissary, Dr. Abiodun Essiet, to engage with various communities and promote intercommunal harmony. According to a statement by the president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Dr. Essiet spent two days in the state holding meetings with Christian leaders, Fulani communities, traditional rulers and youth groups to strengthen grassroots peace structures.
During her visit, Dr. Essiet met with leaders of the Regional Church Council in Barkin Ladi, including its chairman Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, to discuss the role of faith‑based leadership in promoting peace, unity and social development. She also addressed widows in the community and delivered the president’s message of reconciliation to Christian groups. In a separate meeting with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi, she promoted dialogue and mutual understanding between pastoral and farming communities, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to inclusive engagement.
The engagements culminated in a town‑hall meeting in Jos that drew participants from various local government areas, traditional rulers, women leaders and youth groups. Dr. Essiet also conducted a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the state’s 17 local government areas. In a closed‑door session with the Irigwe community, the Miyetti Allah group and representatives of the Bassa Youth Council, discussions focused on strengthening the existing 17‑member peace committee to enhance dialogue and reconciliation.
These efforts have already yielded a positive outcome. A dispute between farmer David Toma of Agha Farm in Jos South and some herdsmen, following the destruction of his farmland, was resolved after the chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Isah Yau, paid N500,000 compensation to Toma on Saturday. The payment led to the release of two cows earlier seized by the farmer, and all parties signed an undertaking to embrace peace in the state.
The initiative is part of President Tinubu’s commitment to peace, inclusive governance and long‑term stability in the region. Community‑based peace structures are critical tools for fostering unity in the North‑Central region, and the federal government is working to establish and strengthen these mechanisms. The success of these efforts will be crucial in promoting lasting peace and stability in Plateau State, and the government’s focus on inclusive engagement and community‑based peace structures is a step in the right direction.
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