SFCG COMITAS PROJECT: COMMUNITIES EXPRESSES GRATITUDE.
Raymond Enoch.
Focal person of the Search for Common Ground (SFCG) Abbare Area, of COMITAS Project funded by the European Union and Partners, Lau Local Government Area, Taraba State, Hon Elkanah Lebbe has said that their communities are back to normalcy with Agricultural and economic activities thriving.
Hon.Elkanah Lebbe made this disclosure in an exclusive interview with Paradigm News crew who visited the area to assess the impact of the project on the benefitting communities.
Search for Common Ground ( SFCG) an international Non Governmental Organization (NGO) had in a bid to mitigate conflict over natural resources between farmers and herders in Taraba State, selected Lau Local Government Area as one of the benefitting LGAs for its intervention
Elkanah said that COMITAS project has been an eye opener to them, as it has made tremendous success in their respective communities, adding that peace has returned to the communities who before were separated due to skirmishes over natural resources in the area.
He said ” COMITAS came into Abbare area after communal clashes that have occurred between farming communities over disputed farm lands of Savanah Sugar Company between the Waja, Lunguda and Boshikiri ethnic groups in Guyuk and Lamurde LGAs”.
“Before these clashes, farmers and herders in Abbare Communities were living in peace with each other”
He added that ” drugs abuse which is a common occurrence among the youth in our area, contributed to fuelling violent conflict between farmers and herders communities resulting into violent extremism, rural banditry and cattle rustling in the area”.
Speaking on migration, Elkanah said that the conflict led to the migration of herders and proliferation of weapons into Abbare communities.
When asked about the duration of the project and its impact, he said that the eighteen months COMITTAS project introduced by SFCG has contributed to reduced conflict incidences, improved social relationship between farmer’s- herders, improved collaboration on the use of natural resources allocation and management by farmers and herders, notable one is, grazing routes are expanded to accommodate livestock communities.
Hon Elkanah said that crime perpetrated by at risk youth have also reduced
Speaking further on impact, Elkanah, added that sharing of information on cattle rustling between farmers and herders communities has improved and that there is a reduced incidence of farm encroachment by livestock owners.
A member of the Community Response Network (CRN) who is a herder and a Village Head of Wuro Bobbel, Jauro Yuguda Jibo said that they appreciate the COMITAS project as it has help end the era of cattle rustling in their respective communities.
He said that the project has added value to their through borehole sank in their area, a source of water they bother enjoy as herders and farmers.
A women beneficiary Malama Kabo Ibrahim of Wuro Baba said that they appreciate the COMITAS.Project as well as Mercy Corps and other partners who added “quick impact to their lives and are supporting us as both herders farmers”
It would be recalled that SFCG has introduced the project with the objectives to strengthen traditional conflict resolution mechanisms, improve trust in authority’s, enhance collaboration in the management and use of natural resources and improved intra and inter communal perception.
