PIDAN Retreat: Plateau Leaders Push Unity, Peace and Responsible Mining

By Timothy Alamba Madu

Plateau leaders have called for greater unity, peaceful coexistence and responsible management of the state’s mineral resources to promote sustainable development and shared prosperity.

The call was made on Thursday at a leadership retreat organised by the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) in Jos, with the theme: “Building a United Plateau: Leveraging Our Diversity and Mineral Wealth for Sustainable Peace and Development.”

The retreat brought together Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, Dr. Abiodun Esiet, traditional rulers, Christian and Muslim leaders, as well as representatives of Plateau’s 56 ethnic nationalities.

Speaking at the event, the Chairperson of the Plateau State Gender and Equal Opportunities Commission, Barr. Olivia Dazyam, drew attention to human rights violations and the trafficking of children out of the state.

She urged stakeholders to make the protection and welfare of children a central component of any sustainable peacebuilding agenda.

Governor Mutfwang observed a minute’s silence in honour of victims of recent attacks in the state and described PIDAN as an important catalyst for development and peaceful coexistence.

The Governor pledged closer collaboration with the organisation and identified security, the return and reintegration of displaced persons, youth unemployment and responsible mining as key areas requiring urgent attention.

He expressed concern over the impact of unregulated mining activities, noting that indiscriminate mineral extraction had left thousands of abandoned mining pits across the state.

“We must turn our mineral wealth into shared prosperity rather than a source of conflict,” Mutfwang said.

The Governor also stressed that his administration would not support any policy that forcibly takes land from citizens, emphasising the need to protect the rights and interests of communities.

The Gbong Gwom Jos and Chairman of the Plateau State Traditional Council, His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, was represented at the event by the Agwom Izere, Rev. Dr. Isaac Wakili.

Wakili emphasised that lasting peace could only be achieved through collective efforts by communities, traditional institutions and government, particularly in restoring confidence and protecting ancestral lands.

The keynote speaker, Professor Clement Dakas, SAN, challenged Plateau people to move beyond merely tolerating their differences to genuinely valuing and appreciating one another.

Dakas questioned whether Plateau’s vast mineral resources were a blessing or a curse, stressing that transparent and accountable governance was necessary to ensure that host communities derived lasting benefits from mining activities.

He warned that mineral exploitation should not leave communities with degraded land and little or no benefit from the resources extracted from their ancestral territories.

The President of PIDAN, Ambassador Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, condemned the recent attacks in the state and called for justice for the victims.

He said that despite the challenges confronting the organisation, PIDAN had over the years ensured that the voice of Plateau people was heard on critical issues affecting the state.

Sheni attributed the successes recorded by the organisation to the commitment and dedication of its past and present leaders.

Dr. Esiet, who reaffirmed the Federal Government’s support for community-driven peace initiatives, announced plans for a forthcoming North-Central Security Summit involving traditional rulers, religious leaders and farmers’ groups.

She commiserated with the people of Plateau over the loss of lives in recent attacks in Riyom and Mangu Local Government Areas, while urging stakeholders to strengthen mechanisms for peaceful coexistence.

Christian and Muslim leaders at the retreat described Plateau’s ethnic and religious diversity as a strength and appealed to citizens to place the common destiny of the state above individual and sectional interests.

PIDAN was first conceived following the September 2001 crisis under the late Architect Simeon Longson but later became dormant.

The organisation was revived between 2008 and 2009 through the efforts of Professor Nenfort Gomwalk and Barrister Timothy Baba Parlong, with a decisive meeting held on December 29, 2008, giving the organisation a formal structure.

Originally known as the Plateau Indigenous Development Association Network, PIDAN now brings together the presidents and secretaries of the state’s 56 ethnic nationalities.

Having been led by four presidents since its establishment, Ambassador Danjuma Nanpon Sheni is currently at the helm of the organisation.

PIDAN has consistently promoted dialogue over confrontation, submitted memoranda to various commissions of inquiry and published three books aimed at clarifying the history of Jos and the crises that have affected Plateau State.

Despite funding challenges, members have continued to sustain the organisation through personal sacrifices, maintaining their commitment to the promotion of unity, peace, cultural preservation and the mentoring and empowerment of women and young people.