News
JISRA Partners Convene Peace Town Hall in Bassa to Tackle Insecurity and Foster Religious Harmony
Jos, Plateau State — July 31, 2025:
In a renewed effort to strengthen peaceful coexistence and promote freedom of religion or belief, RURCON—an implementing partner of the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA)—convened a strategic town hall meeting bringing together key stakeholders in Bassa Local Government Area.
Held at the NBTT Hall in Jos, the meeting carried the theme: “Faith Communities Transforming Conflict Situations in Bassa LGA in Synergy with Security Actors.” The event served as a platform for critical dialogue on community conflict resolution, security collaboration, and inclusive peacebuilding.
Participants included traditional leaders, local government officials, youth and women representatives, ward and village heads, as well as leaders of local vigilante groups.
Elizabeth Onu, RURCON’s Peacebuilding Officer, stressed the purpose of the gathering as a space for transparent dialogue and solution-building.
“Town hall meetings are essential platforms for transparency, engagement, and joint problem-solving. Today’s gathering aims to unearth the root causes of conflict, give voice to marginalized perspectives, and co-create actionable solutions that can be presented to authorities at all levels,” she said.
She further emphasized that understanding the deeper roots of conflict, rather than just its surface-level symptoms, is critical to achieving lasting peace in Bassa and beyond.
Representing Bassa LGA Chairman Hon. Sunday Riti, Mrs. Grace Goler, Director of Social Services, decried the alarming rise in youth drug abuse, which she linked to local insecurity. She also made a passionate appeal for unity among Bassa’s three major chiefdoms.
“Peace cannot thrive where disunity persists. We must deliberately bridge our divides—religious, ethnic, or political—to build a more stable and harmonious society,” Goler stated.
Addressing tensions between farmers and herders, she called for mutual respect and dialogue-driven conflict resolution.
“Allowing children to herd large cattle unsupervised leads to avoidable clashes. Responsibility must be shared on both sides,” she added.
On security, Hon. Riti, through his representative, urged for better coordination of vigilante operations, calling for proper profiling and community accountability instead of retaliatory responses to incidents.
Traditional leader Ardo Bako Abubakar of Dutsen Kura praised the dialogue’s depth, noting that it spotlighted often-overlooked factors such as political exclusion and the impact of fake news.
Acting District Head of Igbak, Adik Adankanla, echoed the sentiment, applauding JISRA and RURCON for their interventions.
“The efforts of JISRA and RURCON in Bassa have begun to yield results. We must now focus on youth development and strengthening farmer-herder understanding to reduce recurring violence,” he said.
Women’s leader Laraba Sunday of Dutsen Kura advocated for healing through forgiveness and community reflection.
“We must remember the peaceful past of our communities and work intentionally to return to that path,” she said.
Moderated by Umar Farouk Musa of JNI and Dan Maren of CORP-PIN, the panel discussions emphasized early warning systems, collective security responsibility, and the importance of local ownership in peacebuilding efforts.
In her closing remarks, Tearfund Peacebuilding Officer Stephanie Taffy encouraged participants to actively apply insights gained from the town hall in their respective communities.
“We must continue to harness the momentum of advocacy to influence policies and practices that promote peace. Our collective efforts will shape a future of inclusive and resilient communities,” she concluded.
The meeting marked another milestone in JISRA’s work of bridging religious and ethnic divides, empowering grassroots actors, and building a foundation for long-term peace in Plateau State.
By Philomina Attah
The Anglican Communion has called on Christians to rebuild their relationship with God and one another to foster unity and societal transformation.
The Keffi-Karshi Missionary Diocese of the church made the appeal in a communiqué issued at the end of the First Session of its First Council, held at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Karu, Abuja.
The communiqué was signed by the Clerical Secretary to Council, Ven. James Bashayi, and Chancellor, Sir Chijioke Emeka (SAN), and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
The council meeting, presided over by the Bishop of the Diocese, Rt. Rev’d Gershinen Dajur, had the theme “Building Together With God.”
The diocese noted that genuine national and spiritual rebuilding begins with true repentance and a renewed relationship with God.
It rejected division, tribalism, ethnicity, pride, and indifference, while urging Christians to embrace unity, teamwork, and collective responsibility in serving God and humanity.
On the state of the nation, the council expressed concern over worsening insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
It called on security agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, improve personnel welfare, and address root causes such as poverty, unemployment, and arms proliferation.
While noting with cautious optimism the gradual national macroeconomic stability, the diocese urged government to ensure that economic reforms translated into better living conditions for citizens.
It called for prioritised food security, job creation, affordable energy, social protection, and support for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the council cautioned against stifling opposition parties, noting that multi-party participation was vital for democratic accountability.
It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, and voters to ensure free, fair, and credible elections, while advising citizens to reject inducement and vote for competent leaders.
The council also advocated an independent and impartial judiciary to safeguard justice, law, and order, especially in resolving post-election disputes without political interference.
On health and education, the diocese called for increased funding, better welfare for workers, infrastructure upgrades, and sustained investment in technical and vocational education.
It commended the Federal Government’s policy shift toward skill acquisition and employability for graduates.
The council expressed delight over the growth of the Anglican Communion globally, commending the Church of Nigeria for its commitment to biblical orthodoxy, evangelism, and leadership within GAFCON.
Dignitaries at the event included the Bishop of Kaduna, Most Rev’d Timothy Yahaya; Bishop of Jos, Rt. Rev’d Ephraim Gongden.
Goodwill messages were received from the Primate of All Nigeria, Most Rev’d Henry Ndukuba, and others.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Mark Longyen
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