The leadership of Search For Common Ground, SFCG, has identified effective communications, as one of the surest ways of ending farmer/herders conflicts in Taraba state.
Farmers/herders crisis over farmland and pastures have in the past, led to wanton destruction of lives and property across the state.
The group said this in its Peace Architecture Dialogue (PAD), with stakeholders drawn from the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Farmers, heads of securities, and traditional rulers among others, argued that, once communication is effective, most of the conflicts will be averted.
Led by its Project Coordinator, Dubi Sonam, the group also called for effective collaboration in managing natural resources, especially between the farmers and herders.
They added that another way of ending farmer/herders crisis in the state, as identified by SFCG, includes, improved intra and inter-communal perception, improved trust in authorities, and strengthened traditional conflict resolution mechanisms.
Citing how the aforementioned suggestions have assisted in contributing to the mitigation of conflict over natural resources between herders and farmers communities in some selected local government councils in the neighbouring state of Adamawa, with all hands on deck, the group believed that the same can be achieved in Taraba.
The organization, which at the time of filing this report is working to halt herders/farmers crises in Lau and Zing local government councils of the state, also cautioned the people of the council, and the state at large against misinformation.
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Sonam who was of the view that “misinformation is very dangerous” pleaded for all hands to be on deck in order to herald to the state the much-desired peace, especially between the herders/farmers.
Aligning their weights to that of the organization, the leadership of the MACBAN, the heads of security chiefs in the state, and traditional rulers to mention but just a few, reiterated their commitment to the sustenance of peace in the state.
While MACBAN announced that they have successfully put in place measures to bring to book herders whose cattle often grazed on farmlands, the farmers on their part, admitted that they have been domiciling peacefully with herders in the two councils.
Overwhelmed by the efforts of the SFCG, in assisting the security agencies in mitigating aganist crisis in the state, the heads of securities, in their various submissions, beckoned at the people of the state to always reach out to them with genuine information that would enable them to pin down those making life difficult for the people.
The dialogue which our correspondent noticed to have taken place in Jalingo, the state capital, was said to have been backed up by the European Union, (EU).
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