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• Several persons yet to return to ancestral homes
From Gyang Bere, Jos
The people of Plateau State have experienced untold hardship foisted on them by decades of violent crises that have claimed many lives and properties. The sad events, at some point, polarized the state along religious and ethnic lines, whereby Christians and Muslims, who were living together, now have separate settlements and different markets in some parts of the state.
Although the state does not have any official internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp, several households that were displaced during the 2001 crisis and subsequent midnight attacks are yet to be resettled in their homes. Some of these persons are either taking shelter in rented apartments or squatting with their relations in other parts of the state.
The administrations of Chief Joshua Dariye and Jonah David Jang put in place measures to halt violent conflicts and resettle displaced people in the state but their efforts did not address the entire issues as the state was still experiencing pockets of midnight attacks and killing of innocent citizens.
The administration of Governor Simon Lalong, which inherited the killings, also put in place some institutions that reduced the scale of violence on the people. He established Plateau State Peace Building Agency and set up Plateau State Inter-Religious Council, made up of eminent and respected religious leaders who dialogued with the aggrieved communities and victims of conflicts.
The dialogue yielded tangible results that culminated in a halt of violent attacks in some communities where the aggrieved persons have accepted to embrace each other and forge ahead in peace and harmony. This was evident in the signing of peace and reconciliation commitments by the natives of Irigwe and the Fulani in Bassa Local Government Area of the state.
The Peace Building Agency, in collaboration with security agencies, also championed reconciliation and signing of peace pacts in several communities that ushered in peace in the state.
It was on this account that the state set aside Plateau Day of Forgiveness and reconciliation, as launched by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018, to bring citizens together to reflect on issues that will encourage peaceful co-existence and bring forth development in the state.
The 2023 Forgiveness and Reconciliation Day was marked with a Juma’a prayer at the Jos Central Mosque and inter-denominational church service held at St. Monica’s Catholic Church, Rantya, Jos, where Lalong said Plateau has put behind its dark days that were characterized by violence and destruction and was now coasting to prosperity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
Lalong noted that the commemoration of the Plateau Day of Forgiveness and Reconciliation was instituted as part of the Plateau State road map to peace in order to restore, strengthen and deepen the peace and security of the state which was truncated for about two decades.
He said: “The Day of Forgiveness, which was unveiled and launched by Mr. President in 2018, has since then been implemented by the Plateau Peace Building Agency, which we established as the first in the country, with the sole responsibility of coordinating and implementing all our efforts towards removing toxic narratives, crisis merchandizing, violence and tackling root causes of disharmony and intolerance.
“As a government, we have been very conscious of the fact that the process of restoring peace and confidence among the people cannot succeed without forgiveness and reconciliation. Gladly, we have succeeded in bringing people who were considered foes at one time or another to dialogue, engage and confront their fears and anxieties in an atmosphere of love, rather than suspicion and accusations.”
Plateau citizens converged at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos, on Tuesday, February 7, to commemorate the 2023 Plateau Day of Forgiveness and Reconciliation. The day was also set aside to mark the 47th anniversary of the creation of the state and to reflect on past experiences that once took away the peace of the state.
Lalong, who addressed the gathering, said his heart was filled with joy that his administration has laid a solid foundation for peace, justice, equality, tolerance and hospitality.
He said with the support of traditional, religious and community leaders, the government has worked hard to substantially reverse the damage to the collective psyche and fractured inter-group coexistence.
“Today, the deep-seated level of mutual distrust, suspicion and hate that once characterized social relations between people of different ethno-religious backgrounds across Plateau State has greatly reduced to the barest minimum.
“This is a result of the hours, days, months and years of work put in by the Plateau Peace Building Agency, which we established, backed by law, as well as the Inter-Religious Council that was also inaugurated with top leadership of the Christian and Muslim faiths deeply involved,” he added.
Lalong emphasised that the focus on forgiveness and reconciliation does not in any way give room for criminality to thrive or be tolerated, rather, crises merchants and criminals who previously operated with impunity have been run out of business.
He explained that government has continued to remove the triggers for conflicts such as those related to farming and grazing that is not only peculiar to Plateau State.
The governor further said: “We have already sent a bill to the state House of Assembly for the establishment of ranching, which will prohibit open grazing so as to tackle clashes between farmers and herders. Similarly, we passed and signed into law the Anti-Land Grabbing Law since 2020 to ensure that nobody is dispossessed of his land illegally.
“It is important to emphasize this because some people are making inciting statements alleging that some villages have been taken over by herdsmen in Plateau State and that the government has not done anything about it. As governor, I can say authoritatively that there is no report on my table that any village has been taken over by anyone.
“The Anti-Land Grabbing law provides that anyone whose land has been forcefully taken should write to me, his traditional ruler, local government chairman, elected representative or even approach the court directly for redress. So far, no one or any community has done so.”
The sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, laud Lalong for his passion for peace and reconciliation, which has restored calm and progress in Plateau State. He said the initiatives put in place by the governor have galvanised the entire state and brought together people, who are no longer looking at one another with suspicion, bitterness and hatred.
Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, said he was happy that the initiative taken many years ago has fully been implemented by the Plateau State Government under the leadership of Governor Lalong.
Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, described the event as one that vindicates Lalong, who has stood firm in persuading the citizens of the state to put behind them and look forward to a greater future.
Several communities in Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos and in other local government areas in the state cannot access their homes for fear of attack and death.
A gazette for the creation of new districts and chiefdoms as well as the Plateau anthem, logo and symbol, which was developed by Daps Dalyop Gwom, were unveiled at the Forgiveness Day, while 32 schools established by voluntary organisations were handed over to the original owners.
