Foundation organises peace training in Kaduna community

By AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

Son of the late Kudirat Abiola, Abduljamiu Abiola has said that if his mother were to be alive, she wouldn’t be happy over insecurity in Kaduna State because she disliked violence. He noted that she won’t be happy in her grave over ongoing banditry and kidnapping in Kaduna State in particular, and Nigeria in general.

Abduljamiu said his mother who was born in Sabon Gari area of Zazzau Emirate in Kaduna State lived with members of the community peacefully as a woman of peace.

He stated this while speaking at two-day capacity training for members of staff of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, organised by Kaduna Peace Commission in collaboration with Kudirat Abiola Sabon Garin Peace Foundation.

Abduljamiu noted that the Peace Foundation was worried about insecurity in the state, saying “it was based on this that we want to educate the members of staff of the local government area on the need to have peace in our communities.

“We are starting in Chikun Local Government Area as a pilot scheme for us to see how we can move to other local government areas of the state,” he said.

The Permanent Commissioner, Kaduna State Peace Commission (KAPECOM), Hajiya Khadijah Gambo said to ensure peace is attained in the local government areas, the commission set up peace committees in the 23 local government areas of the state.

Hajiya Gambo informed that the law that sets up the commission made it compulsory for each local government area to have a peace committee.

“In 2019, we set up the peace committees. In 2020, we were about to start the training of peace committees before the COVID-19 outbreak prevented it,” she said.

She disclosed that while they were thinking of how to commence the training for the peace committees, Kudirat Abiola Foundation approached them and they entered a partnership with the Foundation.

The Overseer of Peace Committee in Chikun Local Government Area, Mrs Jummai Yero said Chikun is delighted to be the first for the training of peace committee members.

Declaring the training open, the Commissioner for Local Government, Jaafaru Sani commended the initiative of the organisers in bringing the training to the grassroots.