By Amos Aar
THE Benue State Government has initiated a law for the establishment of Peace and Reconciliation Commission to end intra and inter-tribal crises in the state.
Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Mike Inalegwu, announced this on Thursday while briefing newsmen at the end of the State Executive Council (SEC) emergency meeting held at Government House, Makurdi.
“The Benue State Executive Council today delved into the memo and sought for the establishment of Benue State Peace and Reconciliatory Commission.
“The essence of this bill is that we have found ourselves in various areas where communities fight themselves, brothers and sisters go to farm and fight themselves over land issues. Some people delve into areas that don’t belong to them; we have herders-farmers crisis and we have been talking about how do we [sic] use machineries to bring these crises to the barest minimum.
“The Government of Benue State in their [sic] normal desire to bring total peace to the land, came out with the law establishing Benue State Peace and Reconciliation Commission and this Commission has fifteen (15) members with Chairman, Secretary, DG, Representatives of Ministry of Water Resources, Information and scholars that are good in peace-building, Bureau of Local Government and a host of others.
“When this law comes into effect, instead of taking laws into our hands, some persons are at liberty to seek redress by sending petitions to the Commission and the Commission will go into the various issues mentioned that such a thing will be resolved amicably.
“Gentlemen, it was the only thing that we discussed today because it is becoming crucial to the Government of Benue State and as partners in progress, I pray to Almighty God that all of us will do our best so that government and people will be enjoying the dividends of democracy.
“When there is rancour and conflict, no amount of dividends of democracy that a government provides will be allowed to stay because people will destroy it,” the commissioner said.
