From last week continues the narrative on the Benue-Plateau crisis and the several means of finding amicable solutions to it.

Benue and Plateau states have produced to date, the highest number of military officers, yet, their states have been terrorized by a tiny army of Fulani herdsmen for the past sixty years also. To the ordinary person, the thinking is that these officers, while serving or retired, would not allow their land to be invaded by the Fulani herdsmen. Apart from General Yakubu Gowon GCFR, who is from Plateau state, there are other outstanding military officers that I have in mind. 

Colonel Joseh Agbo Akaahan(April 1937 – May 1968) was Chief of Army Staff from May 1967 until May 1968, when he was killed in a helicopter crash during the Nigerian Civil War. Lieutenant-General Victor Samuel Leonard Malu (15 January 1947 – 9 October 2017) who was Chief of Army Staff (COAS) from 1999 to 2001 and Force Commander of the ECOMOG peace-keeping force in Liberia from 1996 to 1998. He was from Benue state.

I don’t want to mention names of other military officers, both dead or alive, who are from Benue or Plateau states. 

This present generation should not pass the issue of herdsmen to the coming generation in Benue and Plateau states. Too many lives have been lost. 

LinkedIn made several suggestions on resolving community conflict, which I will like to make reference to.

The first step to resolving a community conflict is to understand its nature, causes, and effects. You need to identify who are the parties involved, what are their perspectives, needs, and emotions, and how the conflict impacts them and the community. Such tools such as conflict mapping, stakeholder analysis, or surveys can be used to gather information and data. Personal biases, assumptions, and feelings about the conflict must be aware of. This comprehensive understanding sets the foundation for effective conflict resolution, fostering empathy and informed decision-making to address the underlying issues and promote harmony.

Conflict is common in every setting and the foremost step is identifying the parties involved and giving every person involved a fair hearing. It will be a grave mistake to listen to just one side of the issue and come to a conclusion.

The second step to resolving a community conflict is to communicate effectively with the parties involved. Trust, respect, and rapport must be established with the community involved, listen actively and empathetically to their views and concerns. Opinions and feelings must be clearly, respectfully, and constructively expressed, and avoid blaming, criticizing, or judging others. 

Effective communication is crucial during conflict resolution. You should be able to listen well and pay attention to details. Allow parties to establish their grievances, so you can address the issue. Remember emotions are high and try to show empathy during the process. Showing empathy will help you to build trust and rapport with the people. Do not take sides, try to stay objective so you can give constructive criticism during the process.

Again, the best way to resolve a conflict is by giving everyone a chance to speak, fair hearing is key. Listen with empathy to build trust!

The third step to resolving a community conflict is to explore options for solving the problem or meeting the needs of the parties involved. You need to brainstorm and generate as many ideas as possible, without evaluating or rejecting them at first. You should also encourage creativity, innovation, and collaboration among the parties, and look for common ground, shared interests, or mutual benefits. You can use methods such as brainstorming, mind mapping, or SWOT analysis to generate and organize options.

During conflict resolution, we are always looking for a win-win solution, which is good, but that does not always happen. As the mediator, you should explore more options such as reaching an agreement, looking for a middle ground among the parties so that the issue can be addressed. Ask the parties what would best solve their problems after carefully listening to their concerns. This would eventually help you to analyze and identify a workable solution.