Plateau State Chairman of Traditional Council of Chiefs and Emirs, and the Gbong Gwom of Jos His Royal Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba has caution community, Religious and Political leaders against fronting youths as crisis merchants in the State.
Da Buba stated this on Tuesday during a Multi stakeholders forum on community actions in Building Peace organised by the Plateau Peace Building Agency to commemorate 20 years of Jos Crisis held at Crest Hotel Jos.
According to some community, Religious and Political leaders has taken the advantage of economic background of youth in the state in destroying their future by using them as crisis merchant in the State.
He noted that the traditional rulers in the state will continue to actively collaborate and partner with inter-Religious Council to foster and building peace in the State.
Earlier, the Director-General of Plateau Peace Building Agency Mr Joseph Lengmang, said that the event was organised to reflect toward finding lasting solution to the crisis in the state.
He added that the event brought key stakeholders from communities to also brainstorm on way forward toward ending the lingering insecurity in the state.
“No amount of military boots, policing, preaching from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ja’amatu Nasril Islam (JNI) or even external intervention can restore peace on the Plateau.
“In the past 20 years, we have had a fear share of crisis in Plateau, lives were touched and properties were also lost.
“So, we have put this event together to reflect on where we were, where we are and where we want to be.
“We are here to interact as a people to reason together toward a peaceful and progressive Plateau that we wish to bequeath for the generation yet unborn,”he said.
Speaking on behalf of USIP, Dr. Chris Kwaja,
advised that beyond dialogue, goverment should invest more on peace building than security.
He urged goverment and the security agencies to intensify arrest and prosecution of criminals, and urged that criminal justice administration in Nigeria should be strengthened.
Our Correspondent reports that the event was supported by the United States Institute for Peace (USIP). It brought key stakeholders from communities to also brainstorm on the way forward towards ending the lingering insecurity in the state.
