The Governor of Taraba State, Darius Dickson Ishaku, has called on religious leaders in the state to preach and promote peace among its members for the state to achieve its desired development.

The Governor who made the call at the government house in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital North-East Nigeria when he received a delegation of the relief and fact-finding committee for the internally displaced persons in the state, also expressed concern over comments attributed to a Catholic priest in the state who blamed the state government for not doing enough to clue the crisis in the state.

He stressed that religious leaders are supposed to preach peace among its members and not to instigate crisis through unguided utterance.

“Here in Taraba we have one of the most populated multi-ethnic groups in the state with over eighty of them and more than three religions, so when we are making effort to get all these people to live in peace with one another it will be unfair for some persons who are supposed to preach peace to make comments that will undermine our efforts, I call on the religious leaders to promote peace among their members or remain silent,” Governor Ishaku said.

Governor Ishaku however noted that the state government has made a remarkable effort towards settling the different disputes in the state and the efforts have started yielding results.

On his part, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN Taraba state chapter Rev. Isaiah Magaji said the Christian body in the state is not aligning with the views of the Catholic priest who blamed the state government for not doing enough on the crisis in the state.

He said such a statement is an individualistic view and doesn’t represent the views of CAN in the state.

“We are surprised that the Catholic priest could make this press briefing blaming the state government on the crisis in the state, usually we make statement collectively as a body and we have made several press briefings condemning the crisis and killing of innocent citizens in the state we speak with one voice and not as individuals”.  He stressed.

Also speaking at the event the leader of the Relief and Fact-finding committee for the internally displaced persons in the state and Taraba state Commissioner for Social Development Mrs Bridget Suwan thanked the Governor for his prompt response to provide relief materials for the people of the state who have been affected by the crisis in the state.

She said the affected persons living in the internally displaced person camps in the state have expressed optimism that they will soon be returned to their homes.

It would be recalled that Taraba state has witnessed pockets of communal crisis in recent times leading to the killing of innocent citizens and the displacement of many persons who are now living in internally displaced persons camps in the state