From Teryima Ajijah, Jos
The Plateau State Inter Religious Council (IRC) recently constituted by Governor Simon Lalong, has held it inaugural meeting and suggested constituting six committees to help it carry out its assignment effectively.
Co-Chairman of IRC, Rev. Prof. Pandam Yamsat, in an address at the recent inaugural meeting, said the proposed six committees shall help ease the work of the IRC towards achieving its objectives.
Rev. Yamsat named the committees to include, Inter-Faith Dialogue Committee, Faith Communities Committee, Issues Committee, Social Cohesion Committee, Intervention Committee and Technical Mediation Committee.
It will be recalled that Plateau state government in February this year constituted the IRC council to help mitigate in the recurring civil unrest in the state.
Reiterating the IRC resolve in tackling insecurity challenges headlong, Rev. Yamsat noted that the council has two years to ensure permanent peace return to the state. He noted that the council is willing to call a spade by it name for peace to reign.
“Government has established this Council with the responsibility of fostering Peace on the state on a 50-50 basis and not base on population of followers to tell us members that we must work as a team and not base on who win or lose as we partner with government and it security agents to ensure that the good are rewarded and the wrong are punished so as to ensure peaceful coexistence reign in Plateau at all cost as God will want it,” he stated.
On his part, the Emir of Was, Alhaji Sambo Haruna, who is also a Co-Chairman of the IRC called on members to bring meaningful suggestions to help speed up the assignment and get the desired results.
Earlier, Plateau government representative in the IRC council, who double as the Director General, Plateau state Peace Building Agency, Dr Joseph Lengmang, told the gathering that government has high hopes in the council to help end all forms of crisis in Plateau state.
Dr Lengmang was optimistic that the inaugural meeting of the council shall set the pace for better discussion on how to proffer permanent solutions to the insecurity challenges bedeviling the state.
The Voice reports that Plateau state has suffered religious crisis since 2001, hence the need for the Inter religious council, the first of its kind in North Central Nigeria.
The IRC is made up of eminent religious leaders of both Christian and Muslim faith, with representatives from peace mediation experts.
