President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday challenged political and traditional leaders from Plateau State to return home with open minds and commit to a permanent end to the recurring crises that have plagued the state for years.
The President spoke during an interactive session at the State House, Abuja, where he hosted a 32-man delegation from the state, including Governor Caleb Mutfwang, former governors, traditional rulers, and religious leaders.
At the close of the three-hour meeting, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Mohammed Dorro, announced that the President had approved N2 billion in relief support for victims of the March 29 attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
President Tinubu told the delegation that leaders at every level must resolve to seek peace and embrace tolerance, warning that recurring violence was creating “orphans, widows and widowers.”
“No protocols, no hinderances, we are here to speak our minds and find a permanent solution to a recurring conflict and chaos,” Mr Tinubu said. “I have heard the leaders. Everybody here is seeking peace. How do we chart our path to that peace?”
He added, “Let us first of all accept one resolution – tolerance for every inhabitant. If people are being recruited to provoke anger, conflict and killings, it is you, the leaders, that should first of all examine yourselves.”
The President urged the delegation to review past government White Papers on security crises in the state and propose implementable resolutions for the government’s consideration. He also called on the state government to identify and name agent provocateurs so they could face the full wrath of the law.
The meeting fulfilled a promise Mr Tinubu made during his visit to Plateau State following the March 29 violence. Speaker after speaker at the session, including youth representatives, identified indigeneship, religion, ethnicity, and farmer-herder clashes as key issues fueling past conflicts.
In his remarks, Governor Mutfwang thanked the President for his continued efforts and noted that it was the first time all former governors of the state had been in one room for such a meeting.
“Our coming here today shows that there is a renewed spirit on the plateau; that we want to be together,” the governor said. “We are determined more than ever to close all our gaps, ensure that we rise above all the divides of religion and ethnicity, and build a state we can all be proud of.”
The Gbong Gwon Jos, HRM Da Jacob Gyang Buba, requested that the President deploy more troops to the state and install CCTV cameras as previously promised. He also expressed belief that the creation of state police would go a long way toward addressing insecurity in the country.
Former Deputy Speaker and current member of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, stressed the enforcement of the rule of law, pointing out that drug abuse was playing a significant role in the insecurity.
President Tinubu assured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to the infrastructural development of Plateau State and urged the governor to make justice, fairness, tolerance, and the integration of other ethnic groups integral parts of his peace-building efforts.
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