A Non-Governmental Organisation, Pastoral Resolve, has trained 256 herders and farmers in sustainable peacebuilding in Plateau State.
For the past 10 years, the state had experienced violent clashes in different communities, especially among herders and farmers, which had led to loss of lives and destruction of properties.
The PUNCH reports that the organisation carried out the training in four Local Government Areas of the state including Bassa, Riyom, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi in collaboration with the USAID and Mercy Corps.
Over forty communities participated in the training which lasted for four days.
A Senior Project Officer (Field Operations) of Pastoral Resolve, Jemila Abdul, told journalists in Barkin Ladi on Sunday that the the programme was aimed at deepening the peace process in the state.
According to her, the training also aimed to stem the tide of communal clashes and other forms of violence which had claimed many lives and destruction of properties in the affected communities.
Abdul said, “If you look at the participating communities, they are from areas that have had one issue of herder/farmer conflict or another other. And Plateau cannot afford to continue on the path of endless violence which has caused so much pains, destruction, suffering and untold hardship to the people, and we have been trying to work out modalities for them to live in peace in the affected communities.
“And because of the ongoing electioneering process leading to the coming elections, if they allow forces to come in between them, it could destroy the peacebuilding progress already made. That is why we have organised this training activities for communities in Barkin Ladi, Bokkos, Riyom and Bassa LGAs to ensure that there is sustainable peace before, during and after the elections.”
Abdul further noted that the organisation will continue to give priority to issues fuelling herders/farmers conflict and work with stakeholders to achieve lasting peace in Plateau State and other parts of the country.
She charged the participants to make judicious use of the knowledge and step down the training to their communities and villages for enhanced cordial relationships in their dealings with one another.
A participant and former chairman of the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore in Barkin Ladi, Alhaji Shua’ibu Bayanna, commended the organisation for the training intervention among the communities in the state, describing it as timely.
He called on the politicians to keep to the rules of the game throughout the electioneering period in the interest of peace and development of Plateau State.
