PCNI tasks N/East Royal fathers on peace building

The Presidential Committee on Northeast Initiative (PCNI) has charged the Traditional Rulers across the Northeast part of the Country to always mediate on day to day disputes in their domains.

Vice Chairman, PCNI, Tijani Musa Tumsah stated this while delivering a keynote note address at a workshop for training of religious leaders, traditional rulers and low court judges, held yesterday in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

Tumsah, who spoke on the topic, “Peace Building and Transitional Justice: An Imperative for Sustainable Development”, reiterated the need for Traditional Rulers to also be adequately involved in the settlement of disputes arising among the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

“Traditional and Community leaders are also important at the level of monitoring the activities of people in their domains, particularly, as it relates to the entry and exit of strangers”, he said.

He added that different stakeholders play the role of mediators with the aim of reconciling differences and settling disputes.

According to him, expectations of parties in a conflict particularly the aggrieved must be met through a series of strategies, dialogue, negotiations and reprieve all embedded as an integral part of sustainable peace building.

The Vice Chairman described cases of breach of trust, Insurgency, infrastructural deficit, low human capital, unemployment, poverty, desertification and the receding of Lake Chad as some of the major challenges the Region was grappling with.

“The overall objective of the programme is to strengthen peace building processes leading to resilience and social cohesion within a context of justice and reconciliation”

In his remarks, Governor Darius Ishaku, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Yero said his administration operates an open door policy, which also focuses on peace building.

The Governor further revealed that lack of love and mutual understanding is the main cause of conflicts in some parts of the State.

While calling on the Participants to give rapt attention to the paper presentation, Ishaku noted that his government respects the rule of law.

Also speaking, the Aku Uka of Wukari who is also the Chairman, Taraba State Council of Chiefs, Dr. Shekarau Angyu Masa-Ibi Kuvyon II who was represented by the Chief of Mambilla, His Majesty, Dr. Shehu Audu Baju said the Workshop is very timely in view of the reoccurring clashes rocking some parts of the State and the Country at large.

He also noted that as custodians of the people at the grassroots, they will not relent in ensuring that peace is achieved at their domains.