AN APPROVAL of N2 billion as relief support for victims of the March 29 attack on Angwan Rukuba in Jos North LGA, marked the centrepiece of a high-level meeting on Wednesday between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a 32-member delegation from Plateau State at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The financial intervention, announced during the interactive session by the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Mohammed Dorro, fulfilled part of the President’s earlier promise to engage Plateau stakeholders after his recent visit to the state in the wake of deadly killings.
Beyond the immediate relief, President Tinubu issued a firm challenge to Plateau leaders, urging them to review past White Papers on security crises and propose implementable resolutions aimed at ending the cycle of recurring violence.
Addressing the delegation, which included Governor Caleb Mutfwang, former governors, traditional rulers, religious leaders, lawmakers, and youth representatives, the President called for sincerity and tolerance.
“No protocols, no hindrances, we are here to speak our minds and find a permanent solution to a recurring conflict and chaos,” Tinubu said, adding that he had heard the leaders and that everyone present was seeking peace.
He stressed the need to chart a credible path toward that peace, noting that Plateau had long been known for peace and hospitality, a reputation he said must be restored.
The President directed the delegation to return home, convene a leadership meeting, and carefully study previous recommendations on peace efforts, including earlier White Papers.
“Take the gazette, review the previous recommendations and agree to implement the White Paper. Bring to my attention any knotty issue that may arise and bring up an implementable resolution,” Tinubu instructed.
He also urged leaders to examine themselves to prevent people from being recruited to provoke anger, conflict, and killings, and called on Governor Mutfwang to identify agent provocateurs for prosecution.
Tinubu further assured the delegation of his administration’s commitment to Plateau’s infrastructural development and urged the state government to make justice, fairness, tolerance, and inclusion central to peace-building efforts.
In his remarks, Governor Mutfwang thanked the President for his dedication to resolving Plateau’s security challenges, noting that it was the first time all former governors of the state had gathered in one room for such a meeting.
“Our coming here today shows that there is a renewed spirit on the Plateau. We are determined more than ever to close all our gaps and rise above divides of religion and ethnicity,” he said.
The Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba, praised Tinubu’s leadership and requested additional troops, the installation of CCTV cameras, and support for the return of displaced persons to their communities.
Youth representatives from Christian and Muslim groups pledged to work together for peace, while former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, called for strict enforcement of the rule of law and noted that drug abuse was significantly contributing to insecurity in the state.
