President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured residents displaced by persistent violence in Plateau State that his administration will support the rebuilding of their communities and facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Saturday at the APC North-Central Presidential Campaign rally held at the Zaria Road Stadium, Jos, where he also announced that 1,000 forest guards were undergoing training as part of efforts to strengthen security in affected communities.
Addressing the gathering, the President said his administration was committed to restoring peace and ensuring that displaced residents could return to their homes and rebuild their lives.
“I assure those displaced that we will rebuild your communities. We will rebuild your communities, and we will bring you back to your community,” he said.
He disclosed that he had directed security agencies to take decisive action to sustain peace and stability, adding that the government was strengthening security deployment, coordination and rapid response.
According to him, 1,000 forest guards are currently undergoing training, while surveillance cameras have been procured to strengthen early detection and warning systems.
“You will feel them. You will see them. You will feel secure in your villages and communities,” Tinubu told the people, referring to the forest guards.
The President said his administration would work with Governor Caleb Mutfwang and other leaders to rebuild affected communities and ensure that displaced residents returned to their places of origin.
He also commended the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Bernard Doro, for his contribution to identifying and supporting vulnerable persons in the state.
Earlier, Governor Mutfwang appealed to the President to support the resettlement of displaced persons, disclosing that his administration was preparing a Marshall Plan to facilitate their return to their ancestral homes.
“We will continue to solicit your help, Mr President, to make sure that our people who are internally displaced return to their ancestral homes. We will be approaching you with a Marshall Plan for the return of our people,” the governor said.
Mutfwang said Plateau had recorded significant progress in addressing insecurity over the preceding three months, expressing confidence that sustained efforts would eliminate threats to peace and stability.
He thanked the President for his interventions in the security sector but stressed the need for continued federal support to ensure that displaced communities were rebuilt and their residents safely resettled.
Also speaking, Senate President Godswill Akpabio assured Plateau residents of the Federal Government’s commitment to ending insecurity and restoring normalcy to affected communities.
He said the Tinubu administration was determined to end the era of displacement in the state and enable residents to return to their homes and farmlands.
“This administration will end insecurity. This administration will bring you prosperity. This administration will make sure you can sleep with your two eyes closed. This administration will end the era of Plateau people being in IDP camps,” Akpabio said.
He added that the National Assembly was working towards establishing state police to strengthen security and enable states to play a greater role in protecting their communities.
The rally attracted top government officials, political leaders, APC chieftains, party supporters and other stakeholders from across the North-Central region.
