By Kingsley Chukwuka
In an effort of peace building and reintegration/resettlement of displaced communities, the Senator Representing Plateau North in the National Assembly Sen. Istifanus Dung Gyang has commissioned thirty eight (38) houses he built in conjuction with the Operation Save Haven, Jong community stakeholders, BYM and resettle Jong IDPs in Ropp District, Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau State.
Sen. Gyang who is the Deputy Chairman Senate Committee on Defence had provided roofing materials, doors, windows, cement, and plastering of all the houses and grains for return of the displaced persons while commissioning the rebuild houses alongside the commander Operation Safe Haven, Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Ali, Traditional Rulers admonished the community that violence is not an option of settling any grievances.
He appreciated God for making peace possible in Barkin-Ladi LGA and said the OPSH has played a commendable role in facilitating peace in Barkin-Ladi LGA.
“Today is a day of history because the opportunity that God gave me to represent the people of Plateau North in the National Assembly has mandated one of the most passionate desires of my heart which is the return of Peace to this constituency and indeed Plateau, even as we yearn for Peace in the entirety of Nigeria and as part of that Peace Agenda, we have been pushing for the return of all our displaced persons, people that were displaced by violence attacks to their ancestral homes.
“The Peace process engaged by the stakeholders in conjuction with the very commendable role played by Operation Safe Haven in facilitating Peace in this particular community, we went ahead to reconstruct Jong village starting with 38 family Housing units.
“Today we had the privilege and honor to get all returnees back to their ancestral homes, quite a delight and demonstration of the fact that Peace is indeed being consolidated on the Plateau.
“Next to this is to ensure that the community have access to health facility and following it up with constructing a Prinary Health Care Cenrre which I also commission today”.
Senator Gyang handed over the commissioned Clinic at Lobiring a neighboring community to Jong in Ropp District to the Local Government to ensure that issues of health of the people is taken care of.
“This peace that has come is priceless, let us not resort to violence as a way of resolving our dispute. Violence should never be an opinion to resolving disputes, anytime you have an issue, dialogue is a platform to which you can always resolve your issues peacefully”, he said.
Other projects commissioned by the Senator includes Power Transformer for upgraded power supply at Gassa, Ropp District and a Befitting modern Town Hall in Heipang.
The GOC 3DIV and Commander OPSH Gen. Ibrahim Ali expressed delight over the cooperation of the aggrieved persons that led to the resettlement of the displaced community and said this was a major event that culminated to the return of IDPs in Plateau 20 years after the Jos crisis.
The Commander, who commissioned a motorized borehole, also provided solar light and stationed security personnel to protect the people, saying that the unfortunate incident that led to the displacement of the Jong community in 2015 has been addressed with the involvement of critical stakeholders in the land.
“This occasion is quite unique as it will give us the opportunity to examine the important roles Operation SAFE HAVEN played in assisting displaced communities to resettled back to their ancestral lands”, he said.
On his part, Commander Sector 4 Col. Murtala Abdulsalam, who provided security for the rebuilding of the destroyed community, expressed joy on the return of Jong people to their ancestral land who left desolate during the 2015 and 2018 crises that left the people scattered in several IDPs camps with some squatting with family members and friends under harsh condition.
The Ward head of Jong, Da. Alexander Pam said the community which was attacked on 19 May, 2015 had about 122 household with a population of over 689 persons who were displaced by unknown gunmen.
He said the community had made several effort to rebuild the community without any head way until the miraculous posting of Col. M.D Abdulsalam as Commander Sector 4 who gave us hope and provided security for the rebuilding and safe returned of the community members.
He also eulogise Senatorr Gyang for the enormous work in rebuilding Jong alonh with the BYM.
“So far, 38 households now have their houses back and more are still making efforts to rebuild their ravished homes.”
The community presented a titles of honour on Col. Abdulsalam as “Da Chomo Jong” the Warrior of Jong, while the Commander, Gen. Ali was honoured as Da San Ntyang Chong (Man of Peace) and Senator Gyang “Da Sogwo Pomo” Jong as the man who build Jong community.