Stakeholders Decry Segregation of Settlement between Christians, Muslims in Plateau
By Chuwang Dungs
Religious, ethnic and community leaders in Plateau State, on Thursday decried the continued segregation of settlements between Christians and Muslims in the state.
The stakeholders expressed their feelings in a communique issued at the end of their meeting held at the Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace (DREP) centre in Jos the capital of the state.
Stakeholders, in the communique agreed on far-reaching resolutions.
It stated that leaders of the various groups noted that: “To prove to the world that peace has returned to Jos, we need to restore our communities where Christians and Muslims live together in peace and unity attending the same schools.
“We also call on the State Government to return schools to the rightful owners and the schools should be made to accommodate both Muslims and Christians.
“The issue of returning faith-based schools to their original owners is one that successive governments have not been courageous enough to do.
“We therefore commend the present government for meeting with owners. We hope and pray that it will have the courage to deliver on this age-old promise so as to give our children a brighter future,” the group maintained.
The forum also commended security agencies in the state, especially, the Commandant of Operation Safe Haven and his men for the great success achieved by arresting the criminal gang responsible for kidnappings and other criminal activities around Dong and Lowcost areas of Jos.
Those arrested are Mohammed Musa also known as Mamman and Alhassan Samalia. We encourage them to keep up with the tempo so as to stamp out insecurity in Jos, Plateau State as a whole.
The District head of Dong, Ada Agwom Kaza Inyam while thanking God for the relative peace in his domain, decried the increasing rise of kidnapping for ransom in the area.
He called on the Government to come to their aid as people are relocating from the area due to the rising cases of insecurity affecting them.
He said the project for the construction of a Police post in the area has stopped and pleaded with the state Government to help complete the project.
“We also call on the government to install CCTV cameras to help detect the activities of criminals.
The communique called on women stakeholders, the media and religious houses to help preach about peaceful coexistence among citizens.
The forum also urged the government to ensure that palliatives are shared to all irrespective of party, religious or ethnic affiliation.
“We call on the Government to run an all-inclusive administration, we have been hearing so much about palliatives but none has reached many communities.
“Extending these assistance to our communities would help alleviate the suffering of our citizens and give them a sense of belonging.
“While we appreciate the JMDB for its effort in sanitizing the Jos/Bukuru metropolis, the group said the government needs to conduct the exercise with a human face as oftentimes items seized by security agents are shared amongst them.
“Thus, we urge the government to monitor and control the excesses of security agents while conducting this laudable exercise.
“While we appreciate the government for the clean-up exercise around the Jos-Bukuru metropolis. However, a lot of shop owners/petty traders who were displaced are stranded, especially at the Kugiya market.
“We therefore call on the government to, as a matter of urgency, try and provide an alternative place for the displaced traders.
“We appreciate the Plateau State government for providing buses which is easing the transportation difficulties of our citizens.
“We however, plead with the government to add more buses, especially to routes that lead to tertiary institutions to help ease the transportation difficulties of our children who have to go to school everyday.
“We decry the rising act of criminality in our rural area. People are still being attacked and killed in cold blood while working in their farms.
“Recently, a traditional leader Ada Silas was brutally killed while working in his farm in Sabon-Gari, Fobur.
“There were also attacks at the tin mining site at Rim, where the miners and their produce were confiscated by criminals.
“We therefore call on the security agencies to wake up to their responsibility of securing lives and properties of our communities especially in our rural areas.
“We also urge the communities to organize themselves and form local vigilante groups to help police and secure their communities,” the forum said.
