In order to prevent deadly clashes between farmers and herdsmen in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the administration has concluded arrangement to partner with National Orientation Agency (NOA), in a community-based sensitization and enlightenment campaign.
In a statement issued by FCT and signed by Sani Abubakar, Special Assistant to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, he said the campaign is aimed at forestalling the deadly clashes between farmers and cattle herders, which is currently rocking some parts of the country.
Towards the success of this initiative, the Minister pledged to provide the necessary financial, logistics and manpower support.
Bello said it had become increasingly necessary for the government to take pre-emptive steps to ensure that the city remains very peaceful and safe in the face of the influx of people with different characters.
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According to Bello, “We are going to give you full support on this programme. We are going to make available our facilities and establish a small group in the FCT Administration that is going to liaise with you on this. We will also give you monetary support.”
He directed the Secretaries of Social Development, Agriculture, Area Council and the Head of the FCTA Information and Communication Department to liaise with the NOA to map out the strategies for peaceful coexistence, patriotism and national unity among residents of the Territory.
Bello also solicited the support of the NOA in the campaign against such other vices as criminality, drug abuse, traffic indiscipline, indiscriminate waste disposal as well as vandalism on public infrastructure.
The Minister lamented, “At the rate which the city is growing, people come in with such bad habits as traffic indiscipline, environmental nuisance and criminality and vandalism on public assets and facilities – the streetlight infrastructure, manhole covers and other related vices.”
He said these vices would need to be eliminated to ensure the city remains of international standard.
The Director-General of NOA, Garba Abari, had earlier in his remarks informed the Minister of their plan to bring together local Fulani herders and farming communities in the FCT and other contiguous states to advocate common grounds that will put a stop to their frequent clashes and the resultant destruction of lives and properties.
He said the strategy is to use advocacies and community theatre under the guidance of the National Troupe, to portray the challenges and evolve solutions that would stem the violence. The DG added that the agency hopes to create a framework for interpersonal peacebuilding initiatives, working in collaboration with the support of state governments and other stakeholders.
LAIDE AKINBOADE-ORIERE
