Presidency Engages Plateau Communities, Facilitates Peace Resolution in Jos

By Chinedu Echianu

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (North Central), Salamatu Essiet, has intensified peacebuilding efforts in Plateau State with a series of strategic meetings aimed at strengthening dialogue, reconciliation, and coexistence among diverse communities.

A statement signed by Presidency spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Essiet paid a courtesy visit to Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Chairman of the Regional Church Council (RCC) in Barkin Ladi, where discussions focused on the role of faith-based leadership in promoting peace, unity, and social development.

During the visit, she addressed a group of widows, conveying President Bola Tinubu’s message of ethnic reconciliation and inclusive governance. Reverend Dachomo, known as one of the most prominent voices representing Christian communities in the state, commended the Federal Government’s sustained engagement.

In a similar effort, Essiet met with Fulani leaders in Barkin Ladi, fostering dialogue between pastoral and farming communities and reaffirming government’s commitment to inclusive, community-driven peace initiatives.

Later in the day, she facilitated a workshop on establishing community peace structures across the 17 Local Government Areas in Jos, aimed at institutionalizing grassroots mechanisms for conflict prevention and early response.

Essiet also held a closed-door session with the Irigwe community, representatives of Miyetti Allah, and the Youth Council of Bassa LGA, where discussions centred on the work of the 17-member peace committee and its role in strengthening dialogue, reconciliation, and long-term coexistence between the two communities.

Reiterating President Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to peace and inclusive governance, Essiet described the Community-Based Peace Structure as a critical tool for grassroots unity and sustainable stability in the North Central region.

A significant early achievement of the ongoing peace efforts was the resolution of a conflict in Gyel district, Jos South, involving David Toma, owner of Agha Farm, and a group of herdsmen. Toma had seized two cows after the destruction of his crops. On November 15, the Chairman of MACBAN in Bassa LGA, Alhaji Isah Yau, paid N500,000 in compensation to Toma, who subsequently released the animals—marking a notable step forward in promoting accountability and peaceful dispute resolution.