FCTA urges community leaders to promote peace

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has urged community leaders within the six Area Councils to promote peace and eschew actions capable of creating confusion among the residents.

Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, the Acting Secretary of FCTA Area Councils Services Secretariat (ACSS), made the appeal at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Olanipekun said that government had made enormous commitments toward achieving the level of peace currently being enjoyed in the territory and would not allow individuals or groups to truncate it.

She warned all custodians of chieftaincy stools in the areas to follow the recommended guidelines in carrying out their activities to ensure sustenance of peace in the territory.

The acting secretary noted that grassroots development could not be achieved in an atmosphere of conflict and social disharmony.

Olanipekun said that the secretariat had been involved in chieftaincy stool dispute resolution in some communities, with the aim of ensuring security for all residents.

She added that the secretariat would continue to ensure that disputes between herders and farmers were amicably settled in good time to avoid escalation.

The acting secretary said that sensitisation campaign had been regularly organised across the 62 wards within the area councils, to create synergy with all relevant stakeholders.

She listed communal disputes resolved by the secretariat to include those between Miyetti Allah KautalHore and Chief of Petti in Kwali Area Council.

Others are the tussle over District Head leadership between the Laura royal family of Abaji Area Council and the Kopati royal family in Niger.

Also settled were the disagreement over district head stools between the contending camps in Gauba community, Kuje Area Council, and that between youths of Gbaygi community and Ebira people in Peyi, Bwari Area Council