pledges commitment to peace
From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has commended President Bola Tinubu over the bilateral conversations he had with the Chairman of the African Union (AU), in New York recently describing it as part of the President’s commitment to peace in Africa.
Governor Alia gave the commendation when he received Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and other stakeholders on the peace process led by the Benue State Peace and Reconciliation Commission, in Makurdi on the event to mark the 2023 International Peace Day, (IPD).
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Action for Peace : Our Ambition for the Global Goals.”
 Alia said, like the president, his administration in Benue has taken that would ensure that peace returns to Benue state in the next couple of months.
The Governor who was flanked by his deputy, Sam Ode, hailed the theme for this year’s celebration saying “it is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility towards fostering peace.
“As we celebrate this day, it is important to acknowledge the tireless efforts of the Tinubu Government towards ensuring peace. Additionally, the Federal Government’s 5-year security plan is a key instrument in the peace process in Nigeria.
“The President’s bilateral conversations with the AU (African Union) Chair in New York recently further confirms his commitment to peace, not just in Nigeria, but in Africa at large.
“We commend the President’s unwavering commitment in fostering peace, within this short period in power. Peace as we all know is not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of harmony, understanding and justice. It is the foundation upon which progress, stability and progress are built.”
Speaking on behalf of the CSOs, the Director General, Benue State Commission for Peace and Reconciliation (BCPR), Josephine Habba, said the Commission was set up by the state government to evolve policies that would return peace to the state and help Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) in the state return to their ancestral homes.
“For us, the people of Benue we are champions and champions in what we do. The State Government put together a State Commission and I have the privilege to be the first DG of the Commission.
“His Excellency put together this Commission to advise him on policies that will ensure that peace returns to Benue and on the top of his agenda is resettling of IDPs and ensuring that they go back to their ancestral homes.
“We must make Benue work, development must return to Benue. Crisis or conflict is the most costly venture in the whole world and prevention is also very costly. There is a situation that says: prevention is better and is even cheaper than cure.
“I am not just talking about the farmers and herders conflicts; I am not just talking of communal crises but I am talking about the things that begin with us; our families, our relationships, our political affiliations and the need to bury our differences.
“And we are working closely with the governor to ensure that these people (IDPs) that voted him into office will go back home and enjoy the development that God has sent him (Governor) to bring to the Benue people, she said.”
Mrs Habba further appreciated the Governor for providing an enabling environment for the people of Benue to preach peace on the occasion of the International day of peace.
She advocated for the establishment of Peace Clubs in schools to enable students become peace advocates in the state.
Earlier, CSOs led by the Benue Peace Commission, as well as students of selected secondary schools in Makurdi, had embarked on a peace walk from the High Level area of Makurdi town to Government house where they were received by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
