Politics
IN a bid to end the perennial clashes between farmers and herders in Nasarawa State, an NGO, Search for Common Ground (SFCG), on Saturday inaugurated a platform known as Peace Architectural Dialogue (PAD) to promote peace between farmers and herders in the state.
Inaugurating the platform in Lafia, Ms Olutoyin Falade, the organisation’s Senior Programme Manager in charge of Middle-Belt, said the platform was specifically designed
towards ensuring peace in the state.
She added that the platform was also to enable the people of the state come together and discuss matters bordering on peace and security, particularly farmers and herders.
Recounting the success stories of PAD in peace building in states like Plateau, Adamawa and Benue, Falade said the organisation would use dialogue as a traditional peace tactic to bring about peace in Nasarawa state.
Falade explained that the organisation operated on common ground approach principles, which include humanity, empathy, humility, inclusiveness and neutrality in dealing with matters affecting people without undermining their tradition and religion.
“We are here today to inaugurate a platform called ‘Peace Architectural Dialogue’ (PAD), this is the first of its kind in Nasarawa state.
“This platform is to address issues bordering on peace and security in Nasarawa state, which include farmers and herders crises through dialogue.
“We have informal sector mechanism which include traditional rulers, religious leaders, women and family groups.
“These are mechanisms we want to reinforce through this platform to bring about peace,” she said.
The programme manager advised the Nasarawa state Government to key into the PAD platform and proffer intervention that would address incessant crises between farmers and herders in the state.
On his part, Mr Jibrin-Egwa Nagambo, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Gov. Abdullahi Sule, on Non-Governmental Organisations, said the PAD platform is in line with the federal and state government policies and determination to address security challenges in the country.
Nagambo called on farmers and herders and other relevant stakeholders to embrace the initiative to enable total peace, and by extension attract dividends of democracy to the state, adding that the state will only develop when there is absolute peace.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that SFCG is an international non-profit organisation with its headquarters in Washington DC whose mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict.
NAN also reports that traditional rulers, members of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeder Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), the Media and representatives of the state ministries of Agriculture and Information were in attendance.
-NAN
– July 27, 2019 @ 15:40 GMT |
Tags: Food security: NGO tasks farmers herders on dialogue
