By: Aisha Mohammed
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas has charged journalists on investigative journalism in reporting issues surrounding Farmer, Herder conflict in a bid to boost food security in the Northern region of the country currently experiencing security challenges.
Governor Kefas made the charge in Jalingo, Taraba State during an experience sharing session organized by Search for Common Ground, COMITAS phase two project, themed contributing to the mitigation of conflict over natural resources between Farmer and Herder communities in Adamawa and Taraba States.
The Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, represented by the Chief of Staff government house Jalingo, Jeji William emphasized the need for journalists to collaborate with critical stakeholders in investigating issues to avoid escalating conflict especially amongst the Farmer, Herder communities in the Northern States of Nigeria.
The Governor further explained that population explosion is a contributing factor to Farmer, Herder conflicts being experienced in the country and called on journalists to acquire necessary knowledge on Farmer Herder Conflict before making any publication in other to strengthen traditional resolution mechanism and improve trust in authorities.
Explaining the objective of the COMITAS phase 2 project, the Project Manager, Gambo Wada, said, the project funded by European Union with support of the implementing partners Search for Common Ground, Mercy Corps and International Organization for Migration, IOM, aims to build social cohesion amongst conflicts affected communities.
Wada commended the role journalists played on the COMITAS project in bridging the gap between farmers and herders, noting that the experience sharing session was organized to provide journalists the opportunity to brainstorm for diverse initiative to foster lasting solutions to Farmer Herder conflicts in the country.
In a remark, Media Coordinator, Victor Baba, encouraged journalists to create more awareness on the need to sustain impact achieved in resolving Farmer Herder conflicts in Adamawa and Taraba States through the COMITAS project as the project comes to an end.
Present at the experience sharing session, organized by Search for Common Ground, COMITAS phase two project, were media practitioners drawn from the print and broadcast media in Adamawa and Taraba States.
