With the spate of violence that engulfed the state since 2001, the damage in terms of human and material losses cannot be quantified as MUHAMMAD TANKO SHITTU writes on efforts of Plateau state government to assuage the pains in the spirit of forgiveness.
Since 2001, the hitherto peaceful ‘Home of Peace and Tourism’ turned out to be a centre of violence with thousands of lives lost. In many cases, many people left with scars only live to narrate their ordeals. As a result of this, property worth billions of Naira were destroyed despite efforts to nip the crisis in the bud. This situation is said to have lasted because there has not been any deliberate mechanism in place to foster forgiveness.
Disturbed by this, Governor Simon Lalong’s administration is on course towards promoting peaceful co-existence in what seems to be a departure from the plans of past administrations.
Blueprint learnt that the government has taken off with various policies that can checkmate some of the immediate conflicts which usually snowball into major crisis.
Recent developments
The recent is the training of over 500 able youths drawn from all the 17 local government areas and bringing together additional 600 religious leaders as well as traditional and community rulers across the state who are trained and made ambassadors of forgiveness. This is in collaboration with Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) led by Imam Nurayn Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye who facilitated the theme of ‘Forgiveness for Sustainable Peace project’ and further symbolically rehabilitated an obsolete garden which was renamed as the ‘Garden of Forgiveness for Sustainable Peace’ and commissioned by the governor.
Issues
From the onset, co-chairmen of IMC, Imam Ashafa and Pastor Wuye, said in their separate remarks that Lalong has being the promoter of peace even when he was speaker of the state House of Assembly.
Ashafa said the forgiveness initiative was the first of its kind all over Nigeria, stressing that it was collectively conceived by both the IMC, the state governor and further driven by the State Peace Building Agency.
According to Ashafa, “The chains of violence can possibly be broken only if people can forgive one another with the hope that sustainable peace would be attained.”
Similarly according to Wuye, “Lalong has helped in facilitating the restoration of peace in Yelwan Shandam, his own local government area some 15 years ago.”
On his part, the director-general of Plateau Peace Building Agency, Joseph Lengmang, said the September 7, 2001, violence has set neighbours against neighbours, family against family with love turned into hate and friends turned enemies. He added that, “Since then, the fortunes of our state has been ruined as a result of the violence that has lasted for over 18 years.
“Our peaceful landscape was turned up side down like no other; the legacies of these horrific experiences are well and alive today including mutual distrust, deep seated level of resentment, hate and mutual suspicion as exemplified in the segregated communities that dot our societies, particularly in Jos North and Jos South local government areas.”
He opined that it is against this backdrop that Lalong deemed it important and established the peace agency to serve as an institution that can break the circle of violence through dialogue, sensitisation, and advocacy. He stressed that Lalong has set the pace across Nigeria by adopting more robust and result- oriented approach to preventing and mitigating violent conflicts through systematic and community oriented services.
“Your (Lalong) departure from the strategies that characterises the failure of the past administrations to successfully break the circle of violence is today paying off. Beside the creation of the Peace Building Agency, the creation of Plateau State Small and Medium Entrepreneur Agency (PLASMEDA) is doing an excellent job of empowering our teeming youths through skills acquisitions and funding of small and medium enterprises across the state. Through your visionary leadership, Plateau is the only state that has developed a five year strategic plan of road map to peace.”
Lengmang is of the views that what IMC has done with the support of Lalong is a stone-breaking exercise upon which the peace agency will proceed with the reconciliation project which he expressed the confidence that the administration will graciously support.
“The strategies of forgiveness has, more than any peace building components, played significant roles in places where violent conflicts have taken place across the world and has made the people come out more stronger,” he enthused.
Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama said the theme was dear to them. “It is in line with promoting love, peace, forgiveness and all the very positive attribute and virtues that God has taught us.
“We are all beneficiaries of God’s forgiveness. Every day, we do some things to offend God and He is so generous, so magnanimous that He forgives us. We must also learn to forgive unconditionally. “Forgiveness is the only thing that can bring about an end to circles of violence and revenge; it is medicinal.”
Lalong speaks on forgiveness.
From the inception of his administration, it is obvious that relative peace has been achieved. To Lalong, the efforts towards attaining the desired peace, is endless. Hence his approval of support to all manners of moves even by individual or groups working for peace.
To that effect, while commissioning the symbolic ‘garden of forgiveness, he said that he has forgiven everyone. He therefore urged all people to forgive one another in the spirit of sustainable peace and meaningful development.
“We are pained by the losses of the past. We are pained particularly by the sacrifices of those who lost their lives and those whose memories were saddened by this development. This is to say the least a sad commentary on our state which is known for peace and tourism.”
According to Lalong, “I stand on behalf of the good people of Plateau state to ask for forgiveness from all the children who have lost their parents because of our intolerance of each other.
“We ask for the forgiveness of parents who have lost their children in this ugly introduction that smeared our history as people of peace,” he pleaded.
He said forgiveness is a divine lesson taught all believers. “I have forgiven anyone who has offended me and I plead that if I have wronged anyone, I ask them to find a place in their hearts to forgive me.”
He then declared February 7 as annual public holiday to be observed throughout the state. He said the garden is commissioned and dedicated to everyone experiencing pain and also in memories of all that lost their lives.
