Another step in the peace building efforts in Plateau State was taken last week with the submission of the report of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Jos Crises to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The 28-man committee, headed by former governor of the old Plateau State Chief Solomon Lar, was raised on February 1 after the sectarian crises on January 17 and 19, 2010 which claimed several lives and properties, and which were also the continuation of the violence that followed the November 2008 Jos North Local Government Election.

Prior to the setting up of the Lar's committee, there was the Prince Bola Ajibola panel, set up by the Plateau State government, as well as the Emmanuel Abisoye presidential panel, set up by the federal government, on the crises. Both panels, however, failed to make any meaningful impact due to the disputes surrounding their emergence.

The Lar's committee has, after due consideration of several memoranda, found that the crises arose out of high suspicion among ethnic groups in Jos North Local Government Area, the quest for political power and land ownership as well as the misuse of religion for selfish interest.

Although the committee noted that religion was "exploited by some individuals and groups to gain political popularity and support," it stated that religion was not the main cause of the crises. It indicted the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission for being partisan during the conduct of the local government election in Jos North.

Plateau State had over the years experienced several sectarian clashes among which were the September 2001 and April 2004 conflicts leading to the imposition of the state of emergency by the then Obasanjo federal administration. It was generally believed that the failure of successive governments to implement previous panels' reports has largely been responsible for the recurring mayhem in the once peaceful state capital, Jos. That is why this should be an opportunity for President Goodluck Jonathan to live by his promise and wean the administration of the rituals of instituting inquiries and receiving reports that always end up in the archives.

Significantly, the Lar's committee has come up with 20-point recommendation which could forestall the re-occurrence of the crises. These include the need to establish a truth and reconciliation commission, create new local governments and districts in Jos North, adoption of zoning and power rotation among the ethnic groups in the local government, establishment of grazing reserves in vulnerable areas to curtail frequent conflicts between farmers and Fulani cattle owners as well as the need for constitutional solution to the volatile problem of indigeneship. Above all, the committee recommended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) be empowered to conduct all elections at federal, state and local government levels.

While we see some of these recommendations as noble and worth consideration, we are, however, of the opinion that some issues raised, such as the call to review the creation of Jos North Local Government Area and the problem associated with indigeneship matter are purely constitutional issues that require an overhaul of the 1999 Constitution. The establishment of a grazing reserve is highly required as equally contained in the approved Government White Paper on the Justice Nike Tobi Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report of 2001.

We urge the federal government to take a dispassionate look at the Lar's committee report, issue a white paper on it and promptly implement recommendations that are germane to lasting peace in the state. What is important here is the political will by both the federal and Plateau State governments to do so, without which all efforts put in by the committee would be a nullity. It is also essential to remind the federal government that the only way to put a final stop to this murderous cycle is to ensure that those found guilty face the full wrath of the law. We congratulate the committee members for discharging their assignment successfully and hope that the political elite in Plateau State would this time around embrace peace, and the security agencies would remain resolute in the discharge of their duties. This is imperative as we approach the conduct of 2011 general elections.