Abdullahi Sule, the governor of Nasarawa state, has warned that if diplomatic negotiations are unsuccessful, his administration may use force to bring peace back to some areas of the state.
At a one-day Afo Youth Summit on peace and security held in Keffi on Thursday by the Nasarawa Peace and Prosperity Project Through Law (NAPP-LAW), Governor Sule made this announcement. For the benefit of their villages and the state as a whole, he urged the Afo Nation to embrace peace.
But he cautioned that his government would be forced to move decisively to maintain stability if diplomatic attempts were turned down.
The governor emphasized that the Afo Nation had no excuse for ongoing instability, especially because their area is rich in rare minerals that are in high demand worldwide, including lithium.
Governor Sule bemoaned the deaths brought on by disputes between individuals who had previously lived in harmony with one another, calling the violence a national disgrace. He issued a warning about letting political disagreements devastate the neighborhood.
The Governor emphasized that investors steer clear of insecure locations, drawing on his experience in the private sector. He emphasized that if there was no peace in Afo territory, only illegal miners would take use of the area’s resources, destroying the environment and making life worse for the locals.
While reaffirming his commitment to promoting peace, Governor Sule made it apparent that his administration would not hesitate to enforce the law if it was required to protect lives and the state’s progress.
“I know how to communicate with investors because I used to work for them. Only in areas of tranquility will investors make investments. No serious investor will go where there is no peace. The only people who would go there are illegal miners who would not benefit the community, he said.
Governor Sule highlighted the numerous initiatives his administration has taken to address the region’s security issues, such as building a military base and the Mararaba-Udege-Agwada road, but he also threatened to implement more severe measures if the populace did not put aside their disagreements and embrace peace.In the name of God, I implore you to put your differences aside and live in harmony.
It is my duty as governor to begin by pleading, appealing, and begging. We will use force if none of that works. Because it is our duty to keep the peace in the region. If none of the other options work, we will use force. Because we can’t afford to continue in this manner repeatedly,” he said.
In order to spread the word of peace and reconciliation among the Afo people, he invited summit attendees to act as mentors for other young people.
The Afo Nation’s Adeweji, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, spoke as the Father of the Day and accused certain Afo elites of ignoring all attempts to mediate peace in the crisis-affected areas.
In order to spread the word of peace and reconciliation among the Afo people, he invited summit attendees to act as mentors for other young people.
People who believed they had the voice and the image to give advice kept trying while this was going on. However, we were unable to achieve the intended outcome.
There are certain members of this community who have had the honor of serving both the state and the community, but we haven’t been able to include them in the attempts to find peace in that community up to this point,” he remarked.
However, he urged the young people to support peace in order to advance the Afo Nation.