1 week ago
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After years of efforts, traditional rulers, district heads and major stakeholders of ethnic groups and communities in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State have agreed to work together to ensure lasting peace in the area.
This forms the highpoint of the communique issued after a peace and reconciliation joint meeting of the Bassa, Egbira and other traditional rulers in Toto Local Government facilitated by the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) and the Nigeria Middle Belt Trust (MBBT), which held in Abuja recently.
They agreed to set up intra-community and inter-community peace and reconciliation committees at all levels to address and resolve issues as they arise, which will also serve as consultative forums to address grievances and inter-community affairs as the peace building efforts continue. Thousands of persons displaced by the crises are already returning to their communities after the meeting supporting the peace process initiated to achieve full reconciliation between the Bassa and Egbira communities and other ethnic groups and communities in the LG.
The traditional rulers in the two-day meeting acknowledged the pain, losses and suffering caused by past conflicts in the local government area and noted the shared history and common destiny and resolved that through dialogue, mutual understanding and mutual respect, sustained peace, normalcy and harmony can return to the community.
The meeting, however, noted that there will be urgent need for security, shelter, emergency health services, food and water supply, as displaced persons from all ethnic groups are returned and settled. “We have identified the common issues that unite us as people and communities; and that these common interests shall become the building blocks. for peace and development in our communities,” they noted in the communique.
They also called on federal, state and local government authorities, and non-governmental organisations, as well as international agencies, to prepare for the return of the displaced persons and to assume full responsibility, working together with the communities concerned.
The meeting also agreed that the Egbira, Bassa, Gade and Gbayi communities, and other stakeholders, would join hands and partner with the relevant government, agencies, institutions and non-governmental organisations to work for the return and resettlement of the displaced persons from all ethnic groups and communities, and take decisions and implement actions that will lead to sustainable peace in Toto LGA.
Chairman of the MBBT, General Martin Luther Agwai had, while welcoming the traditional rulers to the meeting, thanked them for attending and called on them to work towards sustained peace in their communities.
He said though conflicts were inevitable in human settings, it was imperative for people to resolve the issues and live in harmony. He said: “The time to dialogue and live together is now. I have been to many places that were in crises, Darfur, Sierra Leone, etc. In Sierra Leone, nobody knew it was possible for them to live together but they have now sorted out their differences and are not only living together but have also been able to conduct elections.
“The crises in Toto over the years have resulted in internally displaced persons from all ethnic groups and communities as a result of which ungoverned spaces emerged that were taken over as hideouts by bandits and terrorists which have been terrorising Toto LGA, neighbouring LGAs and the FCT. “The meeting took cognisance of the efforts of the federal security agencies, the Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi A. Sule, as well as the Chairman of Toto LGC, Ahmed Yayaha Baba, for their commitments towards the restoration of peace in Toto LGA.”
The meeting had in attendance, the Chairman of Toto Local Government Council, Baba, His Royal Highness, the Ohimege Opanda, represented by Dr. Musa A. Usman, the Asumehe of Opanda; and His Royal Highness Alhaji Mohammed Umar Azaki, the Ohinayi Ogye (Onah) of Toto among others.
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