Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has called on traditional leaders in the state to ensure inclusive governance and peacebuilding in their respective domains.

Lalong made the call shortly after presenting staff of office to Ponzoh Johnson Magaji, the new Ujah of Anaguta Chiefdom, in Jos North Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday in Jos.

He urged the traditional ruler to be proactive and involve people in governance, irrespective of their ethnic, religious, and political affiliations.

” You must avoid selfish or sectional interests and tendencies that will jeopardize the sanctity of the revered stool which you are occupying in trust for your people,” he said.

The governor warned traditional rulers against promoting issues aimed at disrupting peace and threatened to sanction any ruler who did not serve according to the dictates of the office.

He also urged them to ensure intelligence gathering in their communities to forestall attacks in their domains.

He promised to hold traditional leaders responsible for failure to give information of attacks in their domains, saying, “anyone found shielding criminals will be sanctioned”.

Lalong said that traditional rulers were expected to galvanize their communities to embrace dialogue in conflict resolution, adding that peace was critical to facilitate development.

He urged the new Ujah to emulate the good virtues of his late father who ruled the chiefdom for more than 40 years.

The governor described the former Ujah as a lover of peace, hence the need for the new Ujah to ensure that peace reigned in his domain.

“Having been nurtured and groomed by your late father, I have the firm belief that you will use this God-given opportunity to promote tolerance, openness, accommodation, fairness, and justice in Jos North and Plateau State as a whole,” he said.

Lalong said his administration was committed to reviving the traditional institution to enable it to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state, hence the rationale behind the restoration of the chiefdoms scrapped by the previous administration.

He urged the leadership of the Plateau Council of Chiefs to interface on issues obstructing the installation of traditional rulers in some chiefdoms, saying ” vacant stools would be filled up”.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman Plateau Council of Chiefs and Emirs, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, who is also the Gbong Gwom Jos, thanked the governor for strengthening the traditional institution in the state.

Buba prayed for wisdom for the new traditional ruler to discharge his duties diligently, while also urging the Anaguta people to cooperate with him to ensure his success in the discharge of his responsibilities.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Slyvanus Tapgun, thanked the governor for supporting the traditional institution in filling all vacant traditional stools in the state.

Tapgun urged chiefdoms with pending matters obstructing the installation of traditional rulers in their areas to handle them amicably to enable the filling of such vacancies.

Two feared killed in clash among youths in Ibadan

Responding, the 9th Ujah of Anaguta thanked the governor for his noninterference in the selection of traditional leaders, while appealing to him not to interfere in the creation of districts in Jos North Local Government, saying, “this will not only give credence to the exercise, but the people will feel a sense of belonging,” he said.

The new Ujah of Anaguta, 42, was installed after a traditional process of selection.

He replaced his late father, Ponzoh Jauro Magaji, who died early in the year.