Stakeholders in Taraba Commit to Resolving Farmer-Herder Conflict at SFCG Roundtable Discussion.
By Christiana Babayo
Stakeholders in Taraba State have shown commitment to resolving farmer-herder conflicts, complementing the efforts of Search for Common Ground’s (SFCG) COMITAS project,(Contributing to the Mitigation of Conflicts over Natural Resources Between Farmers and Herders in Adamawa and Taraba states) in the state.
The stakeholders, consisting of the Head of Service, LGA chairmen, commissioners, heads of ministries, agencies, and departments, women groups, traditional and religious institutions made this commitment during a roundtable discussion organized by the non-governmental organization, Search for Common Ground in Jalingo, Taraba state.
During the meeting, the Commissioner for Social Justice, Dr. Philister Irarimam Musa, applauded SFCG for the initiative of the COMITAS project, stating that the impact of the project cannot be overstated.
She said the consortium,(IOM, Search for Common Ground, Mercy Corps) through the donor agency, the European Union, has made significant efforts to mitigate farmer-herder conflicts.
In his remarks, the Head of Service noted that although the COMITAS project is coming to an end, continuous advocacy is necessary to reach other local governments.
“The achievements so far recorded indicate that if we replicate this in other local governments, we can achieve similar results, reducing conflicts and promoting peaceful coexistence,” he said.
The ALGON chairman, Hon. Jauro Hassan, on his part assured the organization that all local governments in the state would meet to discuss sustainability plans.
He commended the EU, SFCG, and other partner agencies for addressing farmer-herder conflicts, an effort that has yielded positive results in the pilot communities of Lau and Zing LGAs.
In an interview shortly after the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon.Yakubu Zanau, stated that the project’s achievements have created a desire for more local governments to be included, as many are also plagued by conflicts that require attention.
The Special Adviser mentioned that the state government is working towards establishing the Taraba Peace Commission to continue and sustain SFCG’s peace-building efforts in local communities.
The meeting provided an opportunity for fruitful engagements among stakeholders to discuss sustainability plans beyond the COMITAS project and how the state can intervene in the pursuit of peace between farmer-herder communities.
