The Saf Butura Dr. John Gabriel Mallo Makwal has assured the management of Plateau State University, Bokkos that the problem of insecurity within and around the University community will soon come to an end as the traditional council and leaders of Fulani are working on a peace pact which they will soon sign to end the spate of clashes between the natives and the Fulanis.
Makwal gave the assurance when the Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University, Professor Yohanna Daniel Izam led the management of the institution on a condolence visit to his palace to condole him over the death of his daughter.
He said that in the past, the herdsmen used to graze within the University but this has stopped because of the on-going discussions between the traditional council and the leaders of the herdsmen on the need to co-exist peacefully with one another by avoiding actions that could result in conflicts.
According to him, “As you have said earlier that in addition to the Plateau state indigenes, there are other students from other states that are studying in the University and we must do everything possible to safeguard their lives and the University by providing a conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning to thrive.”
He further used the occasion to assure the Vice Chancellor that the problems being encountered by the host community will soon be a thing of the past as the traditional council will intervene in the matter with the view to finding a lasting solution to the problem and expressed optimism that the hospital that was to be built on the disputed land could even be a teaching hospital that will cater for the health needs of the students, staff and the host community.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Butura Community Development Association and former Vice-Chancellor of University of Jos, Professor Heyward Babale Mafuyai, appealed to the University to consider youths and sons and daughters of the host communities when given admission into the various degree programmes of the University as well as employment.
Mafuyai believed that doing so will go a long way in reducing crime and hostility among youths and other vices currently bedeviling the area.
The Vice-Chancellor used the occasion to solicit for the support and corporation of the Butura traditional council and the community to enable him achieve his vision of deepening the culture of academic excellence through robust training and retraining of staff to impart knowledge on the students of the University who are the future leaders of the state and the country.
Izam recalled how the Saf Butura promptly intervened in the security situation around the campus when he called him to help appeal to the relevant authorities to beef up security in the area while the University also facilitated the deployment of armed security operatives around the campus which has improved security in the area.
He further disclosed that Governor Simon Bako Lalong has graciously agreed to assist the University with funds for its fencing in order to address the problem of land encroachment.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, expressed displeasure over some factors that hindered the commencement the of the Lalong hospital legacy project in the area, saying it will facilitate the commencement of Faculty of Health Sciences.
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