By Sylvanus Viashima
Jalingo (Precise Post) – The Foundation for Peace, Hope and Conflict Management (FPHCM), in partnership with KAICIID on Peace and Dialogue Initiative on Friday says it has trained 380 persons to sensitize the people at the border communities of Taraba and Benue on social cohesion.
Prof Anthony Bature, the Executive Director of the Foundation disclosed this at a press conference in Jalingo.
Bature, a catholic priest, explained that the 380 persons were engaged during the stakeholders meetings on peace dialogue with traditional and religious leaders in Ukum local government area of Benue and Wukari and Takum local government areas of Taraba where the initiative was being implemented.
According to him, the initiative was born out of the persistent recurrent of security challenges in the areas which resulted in prolong disunity, mass displacements and resettlement, kidnapping, religious intolerance, drug abuse, gender based violence and arm banditry at the Taraba/Benue border.
He noted that the foundation had also established inter -religious and inter- cultural committees to enhance the effectiveness of its peace building efforts in the area.
“These initiatives have been widely accepted and supported by the governments and other stakeholders in the two states.
“In fact, the people in the crisis ravaged communities expressed great enthusiasm about the efforts aimed at finding lasting solutions to the Tiv/Jukun crisis that has crippled the economy of the communities,” he said.
While urging the government to redouble its efforts on the resettlement plan, Bature commended Most Rev Charles Hamawa, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Jalingo, the Muslim and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for their relentless support to the peace effort of the foundation.
