By Rasheeda Hamidu
Young Progressive Party (YPP) candidate for the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Dr Danjuma Sanda, has pledged to push for environmental remediation and stronger peace-building measures if elected to the House of Representatives in the 2027 general elections.
Sanda made the pledge on Saturday in Jos while unveiling his manifesto, where he identified decades of mining activities and years of violence as major challenges requiring federal attention.
He said the constituency had suffered extensive ecological damage from mining, including abandoned mining ponds, loss of farmlands and degradation of other environmental resources.
Sanda said he would advocate legislation requiring proper assessment of the environmental consequences of mining activities and measures to remediate affected areas and provide compensation where justified.
“There are several abandoned mining ponds scattered across Bassa/Jos North, in addition to the extensive loss of farmlands and other environmental resources,” he said.
He added that the long-term environmental and health effects of mining required greater attention, saying residents deserved better protection from the consequences of mining activities.
The YPP candidate also promised to support a comprehensive policy of reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation in communities affected by years of violence in parts of Jos North and Bassa.
Sanda said lasting peace could only be achieved by involving affected communities in identifying the causes of conflict and developing solutions, rather than imposing peace on them.
He also disagreed with the view that youth unemployment was the main cause of persistent violence, arguing that conflicts often destroy businesses, homes and livelihoods and subsequently create more unemployment.
He said resources used to acquire weapons should instead be channelled into productive and sustainable activities capable of improving livelihoods and strengthening communities.
Sanda said his other priorities would include addressing infrastructure gaps, improving primary healthcare, expanding economic opportunities for youths and women, and supporting education and technology-driven learning.
He also pledged to work with local and international non-governmental organisations to support the upgrading of educational facilities across the constituency.
The former Jos North Local Government Council chairman further promised to maintain an open-door approach through regular town-hall meetings and grassroots consultations to enable constituents to participate in shaping his legislative priorities.
NatureNews notes that Sanda’s environmental proposals come against the background of longstanding concerns over the ecological effects of mining in Plateau State, while his proposed focus on reconstruction and reconciliation places environmental restoration alongside peace-building and livelihood recovery in his development agenda.
