Duku JOEL, Damaturu
As part of their counter insurgency program, the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) has embarked on the training of 70 Islamic clerics on reconciliation and peace building in Yobe state.
The program is aimed at building peace structures at the community levels in the state for the reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members and other armed groups.
Speaking via a video conference, the Principal Program Officer of the Centre, Mr. Shamsudeen Yusuf told participants at the training to use their religious platforms as a well of countering the damage that Boko Haram has done of the psyche of the people.
He noted that the Ulamas have a power platform to change the narrative of things in their communities which will in turn affect the larger society.
Mr. Shamsudeen acknowledged the heinous human right abuses and other atrocities that the violent conflict has inflicted on the people, while calling on the clerics to deploy their skills to reverse the damage.
One of the initiatives of countering the message that the centre has developed is, “Sulhu Alheri Ne” which has already been lunched.
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Sulhu Alheri he noted is transitional justice, he said is the appropriate mechanism for sustaining peace in the communities devastated by Boko Haram insurgency.
A Senior Research fellow with CDD Prof Mala Mustapha said the roles of the religious leaders in peace building and promotion cannot be overmphasised.
According to him, the north east needs to take advantage of the institution to solve some of her problems.
Prof. Mala disclosed that the organization has developed a reading manual through intensive research with the sole objective of training Ulamas and apply the lessons in their various domain.
A lecturer with Yobe State University, Dr Ali Manzo Usman delivered a paper on Islamic concept of justice, transitional justice and conflict resolution where he charged the Ulamas to get involved in the peace building in their communities through their platforms.
Some of the clerics like Ibrahim Damaturu lauded the centre for coming up with the initiative.
According to him, it will build their capacity and open their eyes to the things that they could not see in their work.
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