The Plateau State chapter of the Fulani Dialogue Forum (FDF) has outlined conditions it says must be met for lasting peace to return to the state.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its meeting on Saturday, the Forum said it is prepared to “give peace a chance” if both the government and indigenous communities, particularly the Berom, address its concerns.
The document, titled “Open Position of the Fulani Community in Plateau State”, was jointly signed by FDF Chairman, Alhaji Shehu Buba, and Secretary, Salihu Musa Umar. It listed demands including employment opportunities for Fulani youths, justice for herders who have lost cattle, access to designated grazing routes, and equitable distribution of state resources.
Parts of the communique read: “For peace to return to Plateau State, the Fulani community demands that the following conditions be met:
“Employment opportunities to be given to us in the same way as it is given to the Berom people. The Berom people have always frustrated all efforts by us to be employed in government establishments/agencies also on the basis that we are strangers in our legally acquired and inherited lands
“The Plateau State government has been very unfair to us in the distribution of the state’s resources. We would like to urge the Plateau State government to be fair enough to equally respect our rights as bona fide citizens, irrespective of religion or tribe, and extend developmental projects to us, such as hospitals, roads, portable water, electricity, etc.
“Again, we have been denied the freedom to business practices and farming activities by the Berom people with the connivance of the Plateau State government and the police. They do that through confiscation of our legally acquired farmlands and orchestrated attacks and destruction of our property. These must be brought to an end if there’s a willingness for peace.
“We are very much aware that both grazing and stock routes were established and backed by law in 1965, including Plateau State. But today, in local government areas like Wase, Jos South, Jos North, Bokkos, Mangu, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Bassa, 60% of our grazing reserve and our stock routes are either farmland or residence, and the government of the state has refused to do anything about such impunity.
“Plateau natives have wreaked lots of havoc on our people and the experience of our community in Plateau State since 2010 to date, as a result of the barbaric and unjustifiable attacks on us by the Berom people have been most pathetic, horrible, agonizing, thought-provoking, and most excruciating.
“It’s therefore of great interest to summarily state and highlight some of these unfortunate events and their devastating effects on our people so that everyone who cares about dialogue with us for peace can understand the nature of our grievances against the Berom nation.
“In 2010 and the following years, the Berom people, with the endorsement of the state government and the Berom traditional council, have attacked us at various places without any or the slightest provocation and mercilessly killed us, stole our cattle in large numbers, burnt our houses, and forcefully ejected us from our legally acquired lands.
“Hundreds of us, including men, women, and children, have been killed and many more wounded. A large number of cattle have been killed or stolen, thousands of us have been displaced, and our dwellings destroyed.
“All our efforts to seek justice through the traditional and local government authorities and through the security agencies have been frustrated and have gone nowhere. Despite the steps taken by us to report these atrocities against us and the terror unleashed on us, nothing has been done by the authorities.
“No arrests were made and no single cow recovered despite the clarity of our complaints and the fact that we know our attackers. We know where our cows are and have reported the same.
“In this regard, therefore, if there ever be peace between the Berom and us, we suggest that all problems associated with the issues of compensation, indigenship, grazing reserve, resettlement of the displaced, access to stock routes, and the development of nomadic schools be taken into consideration.”
In summary key demands outlined by the Forum include:
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Equal access to government jobs, which they allege has been denied to Fulani youths.
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Fair allocation of resources and extension of infrastructure projects such as hospitals, roads, potable water, and electricity to Fulani communities.
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Protection of business and farming rights, and an end to alleged confiscation of farmlands and destruction of property.
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Restoration and protection of grazing reserves and stock routes established under the 1965 law.
