By Femi Bolaji, Jalingo

Taraba state in recent time has been in the eyes of the storm with persistent sacking of villages and destruction of lives and property in some parts of the state by unknown gunmen and communal clashes.

A camp for Internally Displaced Persons

This has resulted to the displacement of residents currently taking refuge in various Internally Displaced Persons, IDP camps in Jalingo the state capital and environs.

In light of this, critical stakeholders drawn from the academia, traditional institution, religious and the political class converged at the Federal University, Wukari last Wednesday to assess the situation and to profer lasting peace.

The one day summit with the theme ‘Peace Building and Social Cohesion’ was aimed at tackling security challenges facing the state and the country.

Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abubakar Kundiri, in his address said, “communities all over the world look up to universities to generate new ideas and knowledge towards development, and we are committed to this fact. This security conference is one of such new ideas aimed at ensuring a harmonious community where peace and development shall thrive.

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“We have assembled like minds from across the country to see how we can build peace and social cohesion and the inputs here will go a long way in addressing some of our security challenges.”

He noted that Federal University Wukari believed in promoting a cohesive environment as a basis for development.

He further explained that the University was not only focused on developing quality academic programmes, but also dedicated to enhancing social cohesion, reducing poverty and addressing challenges of ethno- religious issues.

The Chairman, Taraba State Council of Chiefs, Aku Uka of Wukari, Dr. Shekarau Angyu in a key note address said peace was paramount for the development of the society.

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He expressed the readiness of the traditional institution in the state to work for the peace and development of the state and the country at large.

He charged Universities in the country to do more research and engage critical stakeholders in providing solutions to the numerous challenges facing the country.

On his part, Most Rev Dr Charles Hammawa, the Catholic Bishop of Jalingo Diocese, called for a paradigm shift in people’s approach to issues of religion and ethnicity.

He said “no religion has set out a programme of disorder or bloodshed as tenets of its faith.

“This is why we are calling on Nigerians to work and live in peace with people of other faith for the development of the country.”

He further explained that politics, religion and cultural differences should not divide the country, rather they should be used as instruments of social cohesion.

Earlier, Dr Anthony Bature, a catholic priest and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, said peace was the collective responsibility of all.

According to him, “sober reflection on the state of insecurity in the Nigeria is necessary for all inhabitants of the country.”

Bature also noted that more of such summit would be put in place to ensure that people of Taraba state and the nation live in peace with one another for speedy development and to avert further bloodshed.