COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING OF PLATEAU INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE NATIVES (PIDAN) HELD ON MARCH 20, 2021 AT THE NUJ PRESS CENTRE, JOS.
1:00. The National Council of Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives, PIDAN, comprising of National Presidents and Secretary-Generals of National Development Associations of Ethnic nationalities on the Plateau met on March 20, 2021 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Jos. At the meeting attended by 43 of 58 ethnic nationalities discussed and arrived at the followings as its communiqué.
1:01 SECURITY
The Council reviewed the security situation in the country, with particular interest on Plateau State and expressed worries on the following:
i. The continued killings by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the LGAs of Riyom and Bassa as evidenced by reported deaths among whom were Mr Amos Elisha from Nad Community, Riyom LGA on 27-01-2021; Mr Raphael Bawa from Dudu, Miango, Bassa LGA on 2-02-2021; Sandi Kusa from Kwall, Bassa LGA on 7-02-21; and Bitrus Chollom from Kum, Riyom LGA on 7-03-2021.
ii. The increasing appearance of suspected Boko Haram members in the streets of Jos Metropolis.
iii. The spades of kidnapping of law abiding citizens particularly in Bassa, Jos-North and Jos East LGAs largely linked to activities of Fulani herdsmen.
iv. The disturbing continuous kidnapping of students in boarding schools in Katsina, Zamfara and more recently in the boundary State of Kaduna.
Thereafter, the meeting resolved as follows:
a. That, while PIDAN appreciates the peace process put in place by the Plateau State Government, Council called on it to redouble it’s efforts at stopping the continued marauding activities of Fulani herdsmen so as to curb further killings and kidnapping.
b. That the national leadership of all autochthonous Development Associations with PIDAN should equally compliment government peace building efforts by engaging in pragmatic dialogue with local Fulani leadership and other civil society groups to establish and it exist strengthen community driven peace processes in their respective domains to address the twin evil of killings and kidnapping.
c. That each Association leadership should educate their members and its community-driven security members on the need to carefully take note of strange movements and strange persons or suspects and report to the security agencies. Council equally called on all security agencies to response to calls on such matters from community leadership promptly and endeavour to provide meaningful feedback on such incidents.
d. That each Association should bring together its community level key stakeholders (vigilante, leadership of Parents-Teachers Association, School Principals,) and in liaison with their respective LGA chairmen, strategize to strengthen security around all boarding schools in their domains to safeguard against kidnapping of students.
1:02 NATIONAL LIVESTOCK TRANSFORMATION PLANT, NLTP.
Following an extensive discussion on the NLTP, Council expressed concern on the inherit inadequacies of the NLTP as it currently exists in the public domain especially its focus on cattle to the detriment of other livestock such as pigs, dogs, etc. Council equally note with reprieve the Government intention to send an executive bill on the program to the State House of Assembly to provide legal backing to the program. Council hopes that the intended bill will address the concern expressed above. Council further advised the leadership of each Association to educate its members on the content of the NLTP as presently available in the public domain and await the public hearing session of the executive bill where they would be chanced to bear their minds and make inputs on the usefulness of the program to their communities.
1:03. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC SHENDAM.
The meeting noted with delight the announcement on the approval of a Federal Polytechnic to be sited in Shendam. Council wishes to express its profound appreciation to the Federal Government and Governor Simon Bako Lalong for the approval of the Federal Polytechnic and appealed to the benefiting communities to be magnanimous in the handling of land compensation so as not to delay the takeoff of this highly useful institution.
1:04 BILLS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN PLATEAU STATE.
The Council equally noted with great delight the public hearing at the National Assembly on two bills seeking to establish a National Orthopaedic Hospital in Jos and a Federal Medical Centre WASE sponsored by one of our hard working legislators- the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative, Rt. Hon Ahmed Idris Maje. Council commended the efforts of the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Maje towards increasing health infrastructure in the State. Council further encouraged him and appeal to other members of the National Assembly from to State to join forces to see that the bills progress to enactment and building of the two institutions in the State.
1:05. EXPANSION OF COUNCIL
The Council examined the need to harness the potential of the various Associations’ women and Youth wings in enhancing Council deliberations on matters that would affect them. The Council resolved to re-organize the women and Youth wings and bring in their top leadership into the Council so as to carry them along.
1:06. PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS.
Council reviewed reports and briefings on the peace building work of Humanitarian Dialogue, an NGO in the State which has been doing tremendous work with different communities and more recently in collaboration with different leadership associations which are members of the PIDAN Council.
The Council noted with delight the vital work of this Organization in the area of peace building in the most affected LGAs and communities in the State. Council equally note from the reports the following:
i. The economic effects of the Plateau crisis on the indigenes when compared with non-indigenes revealed that indigenes hardly recover their economic activities to pre-crisis level.
ii. Increasing environmental degradation further compounded by the rampant felling of trees use as charcoal and firewood, thus constituting a potential source for future crisis if it remains unchecked.
iii. The need for crisis prone LGAs such as Bassa and Riyom which have some of its ethnic nationalities with sizable members in neighboring LGAs in Kaduna State to reach out to the leadership of such LGAs to strategize towards consolidating the current peace efforts.
iv. The need for all peace stakeholders in the State to mount advocacy for the establishment of a National Peace Commission.
Council noted these observations and make the following recommendations:
a. Council wishes to express it profound appreciation to the leadership of Humanitarian Dialogue in the State for an outstanding delivery of its programs which some Council members noted that their activities are having the desired effects on peace building. Council wishes to appeal to other NGOs to emulate Humanitarian Dialogue approach to service delivery at community level.
b. Council urged the leadership of Development associations to examine and introduce tree planting programs as a way of curtail environmental degradation occasioned by the felling of trees. Council further appealed to State and Local governments to support this initiative in the various LGAs.
c. Council wishes to appeal to State Government to re-prioritise the distribution of support for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and evolve additional economic strategies in favour of victims of the Plateau crisis so as to address their special economic needs.
d. Council is urging members of the Plateau State Representatives in the National Assembly to examine the potential benefits and initiate a bill for establishing a National Peace Commission.
Prof Aboi Madaki
President, PIDAN
Comrade Nanle Gujor
Secretary General, PIDAN
Nigeria Star News 