Senator Flays Destruction Of Communities

Senator Gyang Pwajok has said that the recent attacks on Shonnong communities in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau had dealt a “huge blow’’ to the peace process.
“The attacks were very shocking to us because we thought we had seen the end of them after all sides agreed to end the hostilities.
“There is no doubt that the development has dealt a huge blow to the peace process. It is very frustrating and I must tell you that we are at a loss over where to start the search for permanent peace,’’ Pwajok told the newsmen, in Jos.
Pwajok added, “the new development means that we must begin a fresh round of confidence building measures among the warring communities.’’
The Tide  reports that the recent  attacks, which the Special Task Force spokesman, Captain Salisu Mustapha, said claimed 16 lives and left many injured and houses destroyed, came after Plateau North enjoyed eight months of uninterrupted stability following peace initiatives by Pwajok.
The initiatives had resulted in a ceasefire resolve by the Fulani and Berom leaders, after many years of conflicts that claimed many lives.
Pwajok, while reacting to the recent attacks, observed that they were particularly different because they were carried out in broad day light, unlike the usual practise where they took place at night.
“This time too, houses were burnt and the attackers operated uninterrupted for five hours, unlike past attacks when the gunmen wiped out families and promptly fled the scenes,’’ he said.
The senator said that the development had revealed that the peace efforts must be constantly sustained while stakeholders must remain fully focused.
“What I have learnt is that peace efforts are not a one-off event. The efforts are not a daily, weekly or monthly affair. They must be steadily sustained.
“I have also learnt that just when you think you have secured peace, conflict merchants could strike, using one strategy or the other,’’ he said.
He advised the people to constantly be on the look out for “crises entrepreneurs’’ who would take advantage of the most minute political, religious of tribal difference to unleash violence for their selfish gains.
He said the latest round of conflict was particularly surprising because there were no provocation “before terror was unleashed on people seeking to live in peace with everyone’’.
Pwajok urged security agencies to put in more efforts to protect the populace, and noted that such was the only way to prevent people from taking laws into their hands.
He, however, called on his constituents to forgive the attackers and put their trust in God for divine intervention.
The senator expressed optimism in the people’s ability to put behind the recent incident and embrace each other once more, and declared his faith in last year’s agreement by the communities to live together.
“I have also told the stakeholders to be wary of people gaining from the violence as they could do anything to instigate conflicts,’’ he said.
Pwajok said that he would first meet separately with the affected communities before constituting another inter-communal dialogue where the people would examine what went wrong with the resolve to be peaceful.

Erosion site at Nekede community in Owerri-West of Imo State last Monday.