Participants at the Idoma Nation Peace and Unity Symposium have urged the Federal, State, and Local Governments to prioritize security challenges in Idomaland by taking deliberate measures to address the rising insecurity in the region. This call was made in a communiqué issued at the end of a two-day symposium held at the Och’Idoma Square in Otukpo, Benue State.
The gathering condemned the recurring attacks and killings of innocent people in Idoma kingdom by armed herdsmen and urged the government to ensure the safe return of traumatized community members in IDP camps to their ancestral lands. The participants emphasized the importance of peace and unity, and agreed that traditional conflict resolution mechanisms should be strengthened to mediate and resolve disagreements.
The communiqué reads in part: “Leaders, sons, and daughters of Idoma kingdom are implored to foster a culture of understanding and cooperation, avoiding sentiments, self-centered ambition, and pull-down syndrome, and instead prioritize the collective interest of the Idoma Nation.” This, they noted, would bring about accelerated and sustainable socioeconomic growth and development to the kingdom and Benue State in general.
Other key outcomes of the symposium include a call for absolute cooperation and reverence to the traditional stool of Idoma land, and the need for clearly defined roles for chieftaincy title holders in the kingdom. The participants also encouraged investment in human capital and the establishment of small and medium-scale businesses to break the cycle of poverty, especially among youths and women in rural Idoma communities.
The symposium resolved to cascade the initiative down to local communities for greater impact and agreed to organize an annual Idoma cultural festival to promote awareness of positive cultural values and foster inter-community bonding and integration.
The communiqué was signed by the Symposium Chairman, Retired Major General Ede Odeh, and presented to the press by the Symposium Publicity Subcommittee Chairman, Comrade Odatse-Peters, PhD, on Tuesday extended the gratitude of the Idoma Area Traditional Council to all the stakeholders, participants, sponsors and organizers for their invaluable contributions to this pivotal initiative aimed at building bridges and fostering a future of peace and unity
