The era of gov providing security alone is over – DG Peace Building Agency

Gone are the days when government alone delivers on the promise of peace and security unilaterally, says the Director General, Plateau Peace Building Agency, Mr. Joseph Lengmang.

Lengmang stated this yesterday in Jos, when he played host to the Plateau Youth Council (PYC), Chairmen drawn from the 17 Local Government Councils of the State.

He said, “government cannot deliver peace without the corporation of the people: it is now a collective responsibility as opposed to the usual traditional approach in the past, where government wild the stick alone or deploy security forces into trouble zones.

“As part of the broader effort of the State government to shift from that reactionary pattern of response to being proactive, it means government must work with critical stakeholders which are the youths, because often times they are the perpetrators or they are often use or manipulated to be agents of destruction and violence and as in as much as they are perpetrators of violence, they can also be used as change agents”, Lengmang said.

However the DG said being proactive means that youth leaders must device means to tackle conflict triggers such as hate and dangerous speech which thrives mostly through the social media, adding that PPBA is open to suggestions on policies of being proactive, aimed at ending conflict, that will be devoid of political, religion or ethnic coloration.

Responding, the Youth Chairman, Jos North LGA, Barr. Jay Kay Chris and that of his Bokkos LGA counterpart, Barr. Nantok Dashuwar, said the Plateau State Government at this time should take proactive measures aimed at arresting the movement of herdsmen and their cattle, migrating from Benue State to Plateau as a result of the ban on open grazing.

J.K Chris said, “you can see that herdsmen and their cattle are gradually coming to Plateau and from experience, we all know the dangerous conflict we are facing in this State as a result of farmer/herder clash and given the scenario, government need to ensure that the migrating herders do not occupy farm lands belonging to farmers, because immediately that happens, it becomes a problem that will lead to another crisis”, he said.

On his part, the Bokkos PYC Chairman said another trigger of violence to be checked, is the forthcoming Local Government elections in the state, saying that most vulnerable area that is pron to violence is Jos North which is divided between religious and ethnic lines.

He said, “in respect to the forthcoming LG elections, government should work with intelligent gathering on security, especially in Jos North which is a flash point for electoral violence, as regards religion and ethnicity”, Dashuwar said.

Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos