Bauchi Govt. Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Committee

Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State on Monday inaugurated a 32-member pastor/Imams Peace Building Committee, to promote peaceful coexistence in Bogoro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of the state.

He said the move was necessitated by the need to consolidate on the peace built and sustained in the last six years.

Mohammed said that peaceful coexistence has recently been threatened by the actions of unpatriotic elements hiding under the cover of farmer-herder clashes to breach peace and stability in the state.

While acknowledging that minor incidences are common, especially during the farming season, Mohammed said the dimension of the recent threats in the areas were indicative of a deliberate attempt to cause disharmony.

“We will not allow our hard earned peaceful coexistence to be truncated by the special grace of Allah. We have invested massively over the last six years in security and peace building measures and mechanisms.

“I will not allow anyone, no matter how highly placed, to scuttle the serenity and harmony that we have attained upon which our development and growth lies. I will deal decisively with all shenanigans fueling this crisis.

“I want to assure the citizens of the state that we are working very hard and continuously with the security agencies to contain every situation around the state,” he said.

Mohammed said the committee would embark on sensitisation activities to promote peaceful coexistence and encourage inter-group communication.

He said the committee would mediate disputes and foster dialogue between different groups, act as bridges by leading initiatives for inter-faith dialogue and understanding.

The governor tasked members of the committee to utilise their religious institutions to provide platforms for community engagement and mobilisation towards peace building efforts, influencing attitude and behaviors.

According to Mohammed, the committee is to leverage on the teachings of religious sacred texts to inspire others to embrace the values of love, forgiveness, eschew hatred and violence.

Responding, Rev. Benson Bature and Imam Faidu Musa, the co-Chairs of the committee pledged to discharge their duties deligently.

Bature and Musa, who are also Chairmen of theCouncil of Imams and Pastors in the areas, said they would cooperate with security agencies to fish out the miscreants

“This will be done in no distant time as the religious leaders are working in unison, even if a member of the committee is found culpable, he would be handed over to the authorities.”

Bauchi Govt. Inaugurates Pastors, Imams Peace Committee is first published on The Whistler Newspaper