Plateau: Tinubu Deploys Peace Envoy to Deepen Intercommunal Dialogue
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has intensified efforts to restore lasting peace in Plateau State, dispatching a peace emissary, Dr Abiodun Essiet, to engage key stakeholders and rebuild intercommunal trust in the troubled state.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
Essiet, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the North Central Zone, began a two-day mission last Thursday, meeting Christian leaders, Fulani community representatives, women, youth groups, and traditional rulers. The engagements culminated in a town hall meeting in Jos, where delegates from several local government areas discussed strengthening community-based peace structures and promoting coexistence.
During her visit to Barkin Ladi, Essiet paid a courtesy call on Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council, who is regarded as a prominent voice among Christian communities in the state. Discussions focused on the role of faith-based leadership in promoting unity and social stability. Essiet and Dachomo also addressed a group of widows, delivering President Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation and collective healing.
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In a parallel engagement, Essiet met Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi to foster dialogue between pastoralist and farming communities, reassuring them of the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive and fair engagement.
She later facilitated a workshop on establishing community peace structures across all 17 Local Government Areas in the state, underscoring the importance of grassroots cohesion and conflict-prevention mechanisms.
Essiet also held a closed-door meeting in Jos with Irigwe leaders, representatives of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), and the Bassa Local Government Youth Council. The discussion centred on sustaining peace and strengthening the 17-member committee overseeing dialogue and reconciliation between the Irigwe and Fulani communities.
As part of the outcomes of the peace mission, a long-standing dispute in Gyel district of Jos South was resolved. David Toma, owner of Agha Farm, had earlier seized two cows after alleging destruction of his farmland. The MACBAN Chairman of Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 in compensation on November 15, leading to the release of the cows. All parties signed an undertaking to maintain peace.
Essiet reaffirmed President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to peace, stability, and inclusive governance, describing the Community-Based Peace Structure as a vital instrument for sustained harmony across the North Central region.
By PRNigeria
