Several communities in Toto Local government of Nasarawa State have reassured the state government and other groups mediating in conflicts in the area of their resolve to work harder to achieve lasting peace.
The communities gave the assurance while receiving the leadership of the Institute for Integrated Transitions IFIT and the Middle Belt Brain Trust(MBBT) who visited to evaluate the peace process in the area.
The Bassa and Egbira communities as well as their neighbours in Toto local government had been in conflict over the years, prompting several initiatives by the government and non- governmental organisations to ensure lasting peace.
The IFIT and MBBT delegation visited the Ohimege of Opanda, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, in his palace and made a stop-over at the transit camp at Ugya to interface with members of the various communities affected by the conflicts.
The delegation was received by the chairman of Toto local government council, Hon. Pharm. Ahmed Yahaya Baba, traditional rulers in the area led by the Ohimege and hordes of internally displaced persons who expressed happiness that lasting peace had returned.
The delegation interacted with key stakeholders and encouraged them to continue the peace process and identify future areas of collaboration.
Chairman of Toto council, Hon. Pharm. Ahmed Yahaya Baba, who welcomed the team, said the local government appreciated the role of IFIT in fostering peace in the area.
He said most of the displaced persons had resettled and returned to their farms, saying the people were committed to living peacefully.
Various representatives that spoke at the palace of His Royal Highness, the Ohimege Opanda, Alhaji Usman Abdullahi, also expressed their determination to work for sustainable peace.
Senior adviser, Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), Dr Seth Kaplan, expressed satisfaction with the level of progress achieved in the peace process and expressed delight that the people had keyed into the programme and were willing to work towards maintaining order and preventing conflicts.
He also commended the state government and traditional rulers for their efforts and urged them not to relent as peace is a continuous process.
One of the facilitators, Prof Mike Kwanashie, also appreciated the level of commitment towards the objective of fostering peaceful coexistence, adding that from what he observed, the villagers were not only serious about driving the peace process but also owning it.
He said as peace is a continuous effort, there was the need to constantly evaluate and review the strategies to ensure constant improvement in the approaches for sustainable harmony.
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