We’re Committed To Peace, Taraba Monarchs Tell IDFP

Two first class chiefs in Taraba State, located in the central zone of the state, the chief of Mambilla, Dr Audu Baju and the Lamdo Gashaka, Alhaji Zubairu Hammangabdo, have declared that they are committed to peace, even as they promised to always embrace dialogue.

The two monarch spoke separately in their palaces when an advocacy and fact-finding team from the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) visited them. While the Mambilla chief spoke in his place in Gembu, the Lamdo spoke in Serti Baruwa in Gashaka Local Government area of the state.

According to the Dr. Baju, if lasting peace must be achieved, religious leaders of the dominant faiths in Nigeria must preach peace to their followers in both the churches and mosques. He acknowledged the fact that the traditional institution has a role to play as the closest institution to the common man, but regretted such was not provided for by the constitution.

In Gashaka chiefdom, Alhaji Hammangabdo, said the advocacy visit by the IDFP team was coming at an appropriate time, as Nigerians are set to go into another election. He added that there was need to make committed efforts to make the youth see the danger of violence.

The Lamdo noted that his people are committed to peace, as “I inherited peace from my late father and will do whatever it takes to sustain it. Here in Gashaka, there is peace, and I will continue to build on the foundation he laid for the chiefdom.”

Both monarchs agreed that violence was taking over the world due to the fact that humanity has turned away from the true teachings of religions that preach the common humanity of mankind.

In both palaces, the leader of the IDFP advocacy team to Taraba state, Bishop Sunday Onuoha, who was represented  by the Chairman of the Local organising Committee (LOC) of the , Elder (Mrs) Leah Solomon, said the interfaith forum that was being supported by the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Centre, globally known as KAICIID Dialogue Centre based in Vienna, Austria, was in the state to dialogue with stakeholders, especially religious clerics, on causes of current spate of violence ripping through the country, especially the North and proffer solutions to the issues.

“We are here to discuss with critical stakeholders and also find out how best to tackle the violence and killing that are ongoing. The IDFP advocacy is programme has been scheduled to take place in five states. Already different teams have visited the states of Zamfara, Benue and Benue. While our team is in Taraba, another is in Kaduna state right now,” she said.