President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged political, traditional and community leaders from Plateau State to return home committed to ending the cycle of violence, calling for unity and practical steps to secure lasting peace.
The position was contained in a State House press release issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following an interactive session held on Tuesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the meeting, the President tasked stakeholders, led by Governor Caleb Mutfwang, to revisit past government White Papers on security crises and present workable solutions for consideration. Participants at the session identified indigeneship disputes, religious divisions, ethnic tensions and farmer-herder clashes as major triggers of past conflicts, while pledging to work towards stability.
The engagement, which lasted about three hours, fulfilled Tinubu’s earlier promise to meet with leaders from the state after the March 29 attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area. A 32-member delegation attended, including political leaders, traditional rulers, former governors and youth representatives.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Mohammed Dorro, announced during the session that the President had approved N2 billion in support for victims of the attack.
Addressing the gathering, Tinubu said: “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?
“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.”
The President stressed the need for leaders to drive peace efforts, noting Plateau’s long-standing reputation as a hospitable state. He urged them to reconvene at home, study previous reports and agree on actionable measures, while bringing unresolved issues to the Federal Government.
“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.
“As leaders, you must go back home, summon a leadership meeting among yourselves, take the gazette, review the previous recommendations and agree to implement the White Paper. Bring to my attention any knotty issue that may arise and bring up an implementable resolution,” he said.
Tinubu warned that continued violence was creating widows, widowers and orphans, and called for decisive action. He also asked the state government to identify those behind the unrest so they could face prosecution, while urging inclusive governance that promotes fairness and a sense of belonging.
Governor Mutfwang, in his remarks, thanked the President and pledged the commitment of leaders in the state to support peace initiatives.
“Our coming here today shows that there is a renewed spirit on the plateau; that we want to be together. We are determined more than ever to close all our gaps, ensure that we rise above all the divides of religion and ethnicity, and build a state we can all be proud of,” he said.
“Having gathered this momentum, we want to assure you, by God’s grace, that we will build on it to tell a better story in the years to come… By God’s grace, we know that you are with us, and we want to assure you that we are also with you. In your journey to salvage Nigeria, we are in this together.”
Also speaking, the Gbong Gwon Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, called for increased security deployment and installation of surveillance systems, while backing the idea of state police to tackle insecurity. He appealed for support in returning displaced persons to their communities ahead of the rainy season.
Youth representatives from both Christian and Muslim groups expressed readiness to work together in promoting peace, while other speakers stressed the need for sincerity and strict enforcement of the law to hold offenders accountable.
The meeting ended with a shared commitment among stakeholders to pursue reconciliation and restore stability across Plateau State.