General News
Peace Beyond Paper: Benue Sets Up Implementation Committee
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
The Benue State Government has
inaugurated the Benue Peace Implementation Committee (BPIC) to coordinate and monitor the implementation of peace agreements reached to address conflicts and promote lasting peace in the state.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who spoke through his Deputy, Sam Ode, during the inauguration, described the committee as a critical step towards moving beyond the signing of peace agreements and ensuring that their provisions translate into tangible peace and development.
Alia commended the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) for its continued partnership with the state in promoting dialogue, conflict resolution and reconciliation.
He cited peace agreements reached in Agatu, Konshisha and Oju, as well as the recently signed Benue State Natural Resource Sharing Agreement, as examples of efforts aimed at addressing conflicts through dialogue.
The governor stressed that signing peace agreements was only the beginning, noting that their success depended on effective coordination, monitoring, accountability, community participation and sustained commitment from all stakeholders.
He identified institutional coordination, monitoring and reporting, inclusivity and community ownership, early warning and response mechanisms, as well as sustainability as key areas of focus for the committee.
According to him, his administration is committed to not only responding to conflicts when they occur but also preventing them through dialogue, early warning systems, addressing grievances and strengthening institutions.
Alia said peace remained essential to the development of the state, particularly in agriculture, investment, infrastructure, education and healthcare.
Under its Terms of Reference, the committee will serve as the principal multi-stakeholder mechanism for coordinating, overseeing and monitoring the implementation of the Benue State Natural Resource Peace Agreement and its Implementation and Monitoring Plan.
The committee is expected to provide strategic leadership for dialogue, mediation, early response to emerging conflicts and confidence-building among communities.
It will also track compliance with key commitments under the agreement,
including climate-smart management of natural resources, strengthening community-led dialogue and peacebuilding structures, establishing community early-warning systems, promoting land and boundary demarcation, and supporting inclusive and participatory leadership selection processes.
The committee will identify emerging conflict trends and facilitate timely interventions to prevent escalation, while promoting peaceful coexistence through inclusive dialogue and engagement with relevant stakeholders.
It is also mandated to support equitable, transparent and sustainable management of natural resources, including land and water, in a bid to address some of the underlying drivers of conflict.
The Terms of Reference require the committee to hold quarterly meetings, as well as extraordinary meetings when necessary. It is also expected to prepare quarterly progress reports on the implementation of the Peace Agreement and submit annual reports to the state government through the Secretary to the State Government.
The committee will further provide periodic briefings to HD and other supporting institutions on its activities and progress.
Earlier, the Country Manager of HD Nigeria, Chris Agoha, called for sustained efforts towards reconciliation and conflict prevention in Benue.
Agoha said the committee emerged from broad consultations with stakeholders and comprised individuals committed to restoring Benue’s reputation as a peaceful and hospitable state.
He urged members to go beyond preventing violence to promoting justice, trust and mutual respect among communities, stressing the need to strengthen mechanisms that could prevent renewed violence in communities recovering from conflict.
He encouraged the members to anchor their work on respect, honesty and hope while ensuring that communities remained central to peacebuilding efforts.
The Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber, commended HD for its continued commitment to peacebuilding despite setbacks, saying dialogue had enabled stakeholders to identify common challenges and work towards solutions.
Aber particularly welcomed the inclusion of women and youths in the committee and urged members to deepen engagement with both groups.
She noted that women often bear significant consequences of conflict, including displacement and other forms of hardship, and therefore needed to be adequately represented in peacebuilding processes.
Representing the Tor Tiv, Tor Jechira, HRM Edward Ujege, pledged the continued support of traditional rulers to the peace initiative.
Ujege called for greater youth empowerment and skills acquisition to address unemployment, which he identified as one of the factors contributing to conflicts.
He said traditional institutions were strategically positioned to support peacebuilding because of their close relationship with communities and understanding of local issues.