Major-General A. E. Abubakar
By Raymond Gukas, Jos
A new vista of hope rises in the horizon for farming communities in Plateau State as the Special Military Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, has assured them of maximum protection in the farms.
The Commander of the task force, Major-General A. E. Abubakar, said this as he stressed that the activities of any person or group to scuttle the efforts of farmers will not be tolerated.
He was speaking during a one-day summit on peace organised by the Plateau State correspondents’ chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for some affected local government areas in the state with the support of the taskforce.
The beneficiaries of the summit are youths from Mangu, Bokkos, Riyom, Barkin Ladi, Jos South and Bokkos local government areas where deathly attacks have been launched by suspected terrorists in recent times.
The summit which took place in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area saw the commander who is also the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Nigeria Army insisting that achieving food security in Plateau State is a must and all hands must be on deck to ensure this.
He said “It is also imperative to point out that the ethno-religious tensions generated by remarks from some religious and ethnic leaders are not only threatening food security but also undermining social cohesion needed for collective progress in our communities.
“Additionally, I would like to send a strong warning to criminals and those planning to obstruct farming activities during this rainy season, which could result in food scarcity in the coming year. Operation Safe Haven will not hesitate to deal decisively, in line with the law, with anyone planning to disrupt farming activities or cause harm.”
Earlier in a welcome address, Chairman of the chapel, Polycarp Auta said the summit was part of its modest contribution toward the peace efforts of the state government and the security agencies, particularly the Operation Safe Heaven.
“As the farming season set in, and Plateau being an agric hub, we also wish to use this medium to remind ourselves of the looming food insecurity in the country and the desire to develop a collective approach that will allow farmers cultivate enough food to feed the state and the nation in general. This, therefore, informs the choice of the topic for this summit.
“Also, we are strongly convinced that dialogue serves as a major avenue for people to air out their views, concerns, and suggestions, hence, hope that this event will elicit conversations and change our mindsets toward addressing the current security challenges bedeviling our dear state” he added.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.