The Plateau State Government is collaborating with the International Organisation for Peacebuilding and Social Justice to entrench religious tolerance and freedom in the state.

Special Adviser to Plateau Governor on Security, Gakji Shipi (retd), said that the collaboration was imperative to re-orientate the people to accept each other’s religion and live in peace.

Mr Shipi stated this on Tuesday in Jos at a town hall meeting with the theme “Religious tolerance: Charting the new order in Plateau.”

The special adviser described the town hall as a positive step to restore enduring peace in the state.

According to him, religion continues to play a dominant role in the state security challenges.

“It is high time we got it out of the way and focused on the real issues of development. We have found out that most times people use religion for dubious reasons. We intend to re-orientate the people on the true nature of what religion ought to be so that we can cohabit with each other and for the good of society,” he said.

PSJ Executive Director, Ishaya Durkwa, said that the town hall was to show that there was hope for Nigeria to rise among the committee of nations.

Mr Durkwa said that the precursor to achieving Nigerian greatness was peace, adding that where there was no peace, there would be no prosperity.

“We don’t have investors coming because of banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency. This is the beginning of the conversation about building bridges for peace for the Plateau.

“This is necessary because during the last protest, we saw how Plateau people came together along religious divides and were able to chart a new Plateau supporting each other in diverse ways. We will take advantage of that and drive it as a new consciousness, and we will begin to move other states.

“This meeting is put together with religious leaders to deepen the conversation on peace as it relates to religion,” he said.

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Plateau State Chapter, Rev. Fr. Polycarp Lubo, said in his presentation that Plateau has been bedevilled by religious intolerance.

Mr Lubo stated that the state settlements had been compartmentalised across religious lines.

The cleric urged religious leaders to teach their adherents to consider people to be human before their religion.

Chief Imam of Jos Central Mosque, Ghazali Adam, said that they want to bequeath to their children a state where all religions would live harmoniously.

Mr Adam commended the organisers for putting together a programme that would have a far-reaching event.

The convener of the town hall meeting was Archbishop Benjamin Kwashi.

(NAN)