The Director General, Peace Building Agency in Plateau State, Mr. Joseph Lengmang, has raised concerns about the high level of arms in communities in the State, as a result of the conflicts that had hitherto bedeviled the State.
Lengmang raised the concerns when Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), Justice Development and Peace Caritas (JDPC) and the Islamic Counseling Initiative of Nigeria (ICIN) paid a courtesy call on him in Jos.
He said, “The amount of arms that are in communities across Plateau is scary. You can never celebrate the return of permanent peace, so long as there are arms amassed in communities.
“The biggest challenge now is, how do you mop up these arms in the context where clearly security agencies have failed the people and the people are very suspicious of them and to a large extend sometimes they even see them as conflict parties,”he lamented.
“What kind of rhetoric or discuss can you bring that would make people come out of this security dilemma; surrender those people in the interest of peace and security? He asked.
“I’m saying this so that we can continue thinking about how we can address or engage some of these challenges of peace and security on the Plateau.
On how the conflicts have polarized communities along religious lines, and the way out, Lengmang said, “One of the devastating consequences of the conflicts is that, it has led to segregated communities, it might be an imaginary gate, but its there.
“This segregation of communities portends danger, it tells you still there is mutual distrust/suspicion amongst these different communities.
“But the onerous task lies not just with government, but organizations like yours and I think when it comes to these things, that’s why we should be looking at a kind of partnership we can have.
“What kind of ideas or intervention projects we can developed together in order to break these imaginary walls.
He maintained that his office had written a proposal to an international donor, to address the problem.
“We would do some kind of a pilot scheme if possible, though we are looking at it in the context of education.
“There are schools that are exclusively Muslims and those that are exclusively Christians, in the metropolis.
“We know that is not good because we understand the overreaching security implications not necessarily in the short-term, but the long-term.
“Can we do something as a confidence building measure, that would enable the integration or rather the establishment of an integrated prototype school, build right at border communities to allow whether Christians or Muslims come in together?
“The staffing, curriculum and everything is going to be welted out for real integration; from there we are hoping to move to even settlements.
“Can we also have a model where for instance you have, particularly from communities who were uprooted as a result of the conflicts, which were hitherto mixed communities, can we go back to one of those communities and do some low housing reconstruction if possible, that would enable a mixed population, in terms of religion and tribe leaving there?
Lengmang said to achieve that, a lot of advocacy, inter-community relations strategies have to be developed and implemented.
“One of the factors that can determine the likelihood of success is when community base organizations like yours actually step-in to partner with government or other civil society organizations to address this issue, its part of our objective plan”, the Director General stressed.
However, in his earlier remarks, Deputy Regional Manager, (NSRP), Comrade Gad Shamaki, while explaining the need for the creation of the Community Peace Partnership (CPP) in Jos North, Bokkos and Wase LGAs, said it was to help send early warning signs to appropriate authorities to prevent conflicts.
“To be able to be part of the peace and security council either at the local government or state levels.
Shamaki said, “In times of crisis, women and youths suffer the most, and we felt that if we have a platform or any form at the community level, where you have youths, members of the security council, traditional institution, religious leaders, the police, government representatives is a lot easier for issues of security to be addressed at a go.
“The CPP are not only in Jos North, but also in Bokkos and Wase LGAs.
“For instance when the Plateau State Government in its wisdom tried to look into the issues of creation of chiefdoms and others in the state, and it was creating some subtle tension in Jos North, it was the CPP that drew the attention of the state government, which led to a press statement issued, warning citizens from making all manners of comments.
Also when the Islamic Movement of Nigeria were planning a protest against the arrest of their leader, it was the CPP that informed security operatives, and they were able to curtail the issue.
“We believe that with a little push and support from government they will do more.”
However, the Director General has assigned a desk officer to the CPP.
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