Plateau Crisis: Lasting Peace In Sight, Says Mutfwang

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang has expressed optimism that a lasting solution to the state’s recurring security challenges is in sight, saying sustained efforts by the government and stakeholders are beginning to yield results.

Mutfwang stated this on Friday while speaking with State House Correspondents after meeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, where he briefed the President on the security situation in Plateau State and efforts to address the recurring violence.

The governor said he updated Tinubu on the challenges confronting the state as well as progress recorded in ongoing peace and security efforts.

He expressed confidence that measures already put in place would produce the desired results if sustained.

“I’ve come to brief Mr. President on the challenges that we’ve been dealing with and all the progress that we are making. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

“All we need is constancy. A lot of the things we have put in place, we are very, very expectant that they will yield the desired result. But what we need is to be consistent and to ensure that we do not take our feet off the brakes,” he said.

Mutfwang said the state was pursuing both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches to the crisis, combining security operations with dialogue and community engagement.

He said the government was continuing to engage communities on the need to live peacefully, respect one another and uphold the sanctity of human life.

“So I believe that the solution is in sight. We’re dealing with it from the two perspectives, both kinetic and non-kinetic,” the governor said.

According to him, the government is also taking steps to ensure accountability, including the prosecution of suspects, stressing that justice is essential to restoring confidence and ending the cycle of violence.

“We’re beginning to prosecute people. We’re making sure. I can tell you that a lot is happening, and we’re very hopeful,” he added.

The governor said political, community and other leaders in Plateau had continued to engage in dialogue and constituted a subcommittee to identify and narrow down the key issues underlying the recurring crises.

He stressed that rebuilding trust among communities and confidence in government remained central to achieving sustainable peace.

“They are not new issues, per se. They are issues that, like I said, we need to be consistent in discussing them. We need to rebuild the walls of trust. We need to rebuild confidence in government and in governance, and this is what we are doing,” Mutfwang said.

He also highlighted the importance of unity among political and community leaders, saying cohesion would strengthen efforts to resolve the crisis.

According to him, efforts have been made to ensure that leaders work together and present a united front, rather than operate at cross-purposes.

“I can tell you we’ve made a lot of unprecedented moves. We’ve tried to make sure that the leaders maintain a cohesion so that people can see that leaders are not divided.

“When leaders are working at cross-purposes, it slows down the process of bringing peace to the state. But now we are making progress,” he said.

Mutfwang said the dialogue among stakeholders would continue, expressing confidence that the combined efforts of security agencies, government, communities and other stakeholders would help restore lasting peace and stability in Plateau State.