Stakeholders proffer solutions on permanent peace

TWO weeks ago, the head of security agencies in Kaduna addressed the press. Looking radiant and full of confidence, the state police commissioner, Mr Agyole Abeh, had said peace had returned to Southern Kaduna.

According to him, since the deployment of military personnel and mobile police to the area, they were able to maintain peace in the area. Abeh implored the people of Southern Kaduna to cooperate with the security agencies towards ending the crisis that had engulfed the area for decades.

Also, commenting on the success recorded, the commander of 1 Garrison, Brigadier General Samaila Isah, remarked that success wouldn’t have been possible without the resolve of the military to enter into the bush to comb the entire forest.

According to him, with the resolve to establish a permanent military formation in the area, the activities of the bandits would be defeated. The Airforce also deployed 60 personnel to the area.

According to the commander Kaduna airforce base, Air commodore Idi Amin, the airmen were conducting 24 hours surveillance in the area and they were running two shifts every day. But it was the commitment of the state government to end the crisis that had brought confidence and hope to the people of the area as well as the major stakeholders.

While hosting the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, during a state visit last month, the state governor, Mallam Nasir el-rufai had said the state government had adopted three approaches to end the crisis.

He said, the first approach was to end the crisis, the second approach was to prosecute all those involved in the killings of innocent souls since three decades ago, while, the the third approach was peace building process. It was based on this development that stakeholders felt, that the peace that is gradually returning to the area should be sustained.

Speaking on the peace iniative, the state Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Mr Sunday Ibrahim, remarked that government’s efforts in sustaining peace was a welcome development, saying, there should be sincerity in everything the government did in order to ensure a lasting peace.