President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday met with stakeholders from Plateau State at the State House, Abuja, urging them to return home with open minds and work towards permanent peace in the state.
The President directed the leaders, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to review past government White Papers on security crises in the state and submit implementable resolutions for federal consideration.
The 32-member delegation included the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; former governors Senator Simon Lalong, Senator Jonah Jang, Chief Joshua Dariye, and Sir Fidelis Tapgun; HRM Mohammed Haruna, Emir of Wase; HRM Da John Putmang Hirse; Rev. Dr. Dunka Gomwalk, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Rear Admiral Samuel Atukum (Rtd), former Military Governor; Rt. Hon. Naanlong Gapyil Daniel, Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly; Dame Pauline Tallen, former Deputy Governor and Minister; and Air Marshal JD Wuyep (Rtd), former Chief of Air Staff.
The meeting, which lasted about three hours, fulfilled President Tinubu’s commitment to engage Plateau stakeholders in extensive discussions on recurring violence in the state. He made the pledge during his visit to Plateau following the March 29 violence in Angwa Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area.
Addressing the delegation, President Tinubu said leaders at all levels must resolve to pursue peace and promote tolerance. “No protocols, no hinderances, we are here to speak our minds and find a permanent solution to a recurring conflict and chaos. I have heard the leaders. Everybody here is seeking peace. How do we chart our path to that peace?” he said.
“Let us first of all accept one resolution – tolerance for every inhabitant. If people are being recruited to provoke anger, conflict and killings, it is you, the leaders, that should first of all examine yourselves.”
He emphasized Plateau’s reputation for peace and receptiveness to other ethnic groups, and called for collective action to preserve it. “We all must find a way to accommodate one another. We must stop the situation where people are recruited to instigate tribal conflict and killings. I am glad that I listened to the youth.”
The President tasked the leaders to convene among themselves, study existing gazettes and recommendations, and agree on implementing the White Papers. “Bring to my attention any knotty issue that may arise and bring up an implementable resolution,” he said.
“To stop creating orphans, widows and widowers, there must be an enduring peace in the state,” President Tinubu added. He assured the delegation of the Federal Government’s commitment to infrastructural development in Plateau and urged the state government to identify and prosecute agent provocateurs.
He also advised Governor Mutfwang to leverage the pool of experienced leaders across various sectors to foster harmony.
During the meeting, participants, including youth representatives, identified indigeneship, religion, ethnicity, and farmer-herder clashes as key drivers of past conflicts. They pledged to work to ensure peace prevails.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Mohammed Dorro, announced that President Tinubu had approved ₦2 billion in relief support for victims of the March 29 attack in Angwa Rukuba, Jos.
