Last week, the Ministery of Defence in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) organised a Peace Week in Jos, the Plateau State capital, with series of programmes designed to restore peace to the State for social and and economic transactions to thrive once again.
Explaining the tourism agency’s role in the peace initiative, Director-General of NTDC, Otunba Segun Runsewe, said Jos and the rest of Plateau State should have been the best? tourist destination in Nigeria today if not for the crises that have scared local and foreign investors away from the State.
The State, according to Runsewe, was too crucial to President Goodluck Jonathan’s Transformation Agenda, hence the corporation’s resolve to hold talks with all the parties to the crises for an amicable resolution of the issues leading to the unwarranted killings across the State.
“We can live together, despite our religious differences” Runsewe told a gathering of selected elders representing the various groups and communities.
The NTDC boss said Plateau could generate over N120billion from tourism alone, with cool weather all year round, fertile? soil for ecotourism, if only the people could allow peace a chance.
The resulting poverty from the senseless killings could be checked if foreign investors were allowed to develop the natural sites and attractions that abound in the State.
He took the same message to the Plateau State Government House, the palace of the Gbon Gwom Jos and religious and youth leaders.
The climax was a peace concert at the Rwang Pam Stadium in Jos where Gospel, Hip Hop Artistes mounted the stage with their muslim brothers, singing peace songs.
The mega concert organized featured performances from ace gospel artiste, Jerimiah Gyang, Tosin Martins, Sadiq Silas among many other talented acts.
The platform served as an avenue to preach the message of reconciliation with NTDC distributing branded souvenirs to the crowd with the? theme, “Plateau for peace, Jos for joy.”
The excited youths promised to be part of the entire peace process commencing with the peace week just as a young man, Peter Evi, unable to conceal his joy observed passionately that it was only now that the government was singing the right tune in ensuring lasting peace on the Plateau by engaging the youths directly, especially via entertainment.
Other attractions that glamorised the Peace Week concert included the lighting of sky lanterns by stakeholders, cutting of the peace cake, release of over 500 white balloons to the air signifying peace, distribution of thousands of NTDC branded T-shirts, caps, flags and a spectacular display of fireworks with the planting of the Peace Tree in Jos township to symbolize the return? of sustainable peace in Plateau State.
NTDC Plans Carnival to Calm Nerves on the plateau.
As a way of sealing the peace deal on the Plateau, the Nigerian tourism corporation has proposed to kick off a Carnival in the North central state of Nigeria next year.
Proposing the Carnival to stakeholders at different fora during the Peace Week in Jos, the Director General of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe said the fiesta would engender peace, love, friendship and brotherliness on the Plateau.
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