Stakeholders at a peace conference on Tuesday called for synergy between government, security agencies, community leaders and cultural associations, to disarm all ethnic militia in Nasarawa State.
The meeting was convened by Gov. Umaru Al-makura to brainstorm and proffer solutions to the incessant crises in the state.
The conference, in a 10-point communiqué in Lafia, urged the state government to implement all white papers from previous reports of communal disturbances to serve as deterrent to others.
It also supported the proscription of the ‘Ombatse’ group, and called for the arrest and prosecution of anybody professing its membership of the outlawed group.
Similarly, it urged the state government to resuscitate peace building committees, consisting of civil society groups and community-based organisations to settle disagreements which might degenerate into full blown crisis.
It advocated that visible roles should be given to traditional rulers to complement government efforts, and called for a law to that would codify their roles.
The communiqué further stressed the need for all stakeholders to work toward entrenching sustainable peace in the state as envisaged by the founding fathers.
It decried the attitude of some invited critical stakeholders for failing to attend or send representatives to the meeting.
Al-makura, had while declaring the conference open, said that the meeting was convened for stakeholders in the affected areas to brainstorm and pull ideas to solve the incessant crises.
According to him, the objective of the conference was not to trade blames, but to look inwards and fashion out ways of finding a lasting solution to the crises.
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