Stakeholders hail Benue Assembly over attention to Peace-Building Commission Bill

Stakeholders in the development sector have commended the Benue State House of Assembly for the attention they are giving to the Peace-Building Commission Bill.

The commendation was given during a peer review meeting of stakeholders in Makurdi, Benue State capital, on Friday.

The meeting, which had senior development and peace building experts in attendance , was hosted and coordinated by Prof.Magdalyn Dura, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, NEPAD and Development Cooperation.

The experts harped on the importance of the Peace-Building Commission Bill which became necessary due to the protracted crises in Benue State and the need for long-term peace structures that would nip future conflicts in the bud .

Due to the incessant conflicts in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom had constituted a team led by Prof Dura who came up with the Peace-Building Commission Bill.

Prof. Dura in her comments revealed that the Bill which is already at the state assembly received its first reading on Wednesday and its second reading has already been scheduled for this week.

She said the committee has pushed for the bill to receive accelerated hearing so that it can be signed into Law by the Governor who is eagerly waiting for it.

Speaking Mr. Paul Nyulaku, the Country Director of International Alert, appreciated the progress made by the Peace Building Committee He reiterated that when the Bill is passed, stakeholders must meet to discuss key issues like capacity of manpower and needs assessment of the commission. He noted also that Sensitization must also be taken to all communities. He further said that the capacity of personnel is key for such a Commission and as a result, capacity building for those in charge must begin in earnest. He pledged that International Alert would always support training and dialogue.

Mr. Chukwuma Ume, a National Expert with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said the Commission would have room to look into other conflict issues grappling the State. He requested that the committee should get a structure to house the Commission.

Mr Ume was optimistic that the Commission would record success since stakeholders cut across various divides. He noted that there are currently peace building communities at the Local Government level but they do not have a link with those at the State level. He said however, the Commission would be the needed link. He promised to give high recommendations of Benue State to the UNDP and make strong recommendations on the need for humanitarian services in the state. This is as Benue has always been on the map in terms of peace building and development initiatives.

Prof. Mrs Dura responded that a situation room is already in place, with GPS and motor bikes, waiting for the Bill to be passed. She added that although the Commission would be a Government institution, it would be granted autonomy in order to ensure only experts head it and it would also be able to source for external funding. There would also be a ‘basket-fund’ in place to ensure resources are always available.

Prof Dura, who spoke on behalf of the state government, thanked Governor Ortom, the State House of Assembly, UNDP and International alert for their contributions.

Mr. Emmanuel Doughdough, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on micro/medium enterprises, insisted that the proposed commission must be vibrant in order not to kill itself. The Commission should also run certificate courses and programs on peace building.

On recent Fulani attacks , members all agreed that the recent crises in Jato-Aka cries for a commission such as this. As a result, implementation strategy is very important now so that once the Bill is passed, work can begin earnestly. With the Peace-Building Commission in place, sustainable peace and development will return to Benue State.

Those in attendance amongst others were Prof. Mrs Magdalene Dura, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals, NEPAD and Development Cooperation, Mr Paul Nyulaku, the Country Director for International Alert, Mr Chukwuma Ume, a National Expert with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Emmanuel Doughdough, the PSA to the Governor on micro/medium enterprises, Mr Iorliam Shija, the SSA to the Governor on Archives, Research and Documentation.