Stakeholders at a peace conference on Tuesday called for synergy between
government, security agencies, community leaders and cultural
associations, to disarm all ethnic militia in Nasarawa State.
The meeting was convened by Gov. Umaru Al-makura to brainstorm and
proffer solutions to the incessant crises in the state.
The conference, in a 10-point communiqué in Lafia, urged the state
government to implement all white papers from previous reports of
communal disturbances to serve as deterrent to others.
It also supported the proscription of the ‘Ombatse’ group, and called
for the arrest and prosecution of anybody professing its membership of
the outlawed group.
Similarly, it urged the state government to resuscitate peace building
committees, consisting of civil society groups and community-based
organisations to settle disagreements which might degenerate into full
blown crisis.
It advocated that visible roles should be given to traditional rulers to
complement government efforts, and called for a law to that would codify
their roles.
The communiqué further stressed the need for all stakeholders to work
toward entrenching sustainable peace in the state as envisaged by the
founding fathers.
It decried the attitude of some invited critical stakeholders for
failing to attend or send representatives to the meeting.
Al-makura, had while declaring the conference open, said that the
meeting was convened for stakeholders in the affected areas to
brainstorm and pull ideas to solve the incessant crises.
According to him, the objective of the conference was not to trade
blames, but to look inwards and fashion out ways of finding a lasting
solution to the crises
