The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Peace

  • How to achieve peace, harmony, by scholars

    The rapidly deteriorating security situation in the country with increasing cases of avoidable loss of lives and properties is causing serious concern among stakeholders who are worried at the little responses coming from the security agencies.

    Of particular concern are the activities of various insurgents, kidnappers, ritualists and rapists across regions that have become more daring, forcing many to doubt the ability of the security agencies to contain the situation and nip these heinous crimes in the bud.

    Against this background, a group of Islamic scholars under the aegis of the Conference of Islamic Organis-ation (CIO), met in Lagos recently to address the situation during the 5th Conference of Imams and Scholars.

    The event, with the theme “Islam: Mercy to Mankind” held at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) main auditorium, Akoka and had in attendance Islamic scholars from different parts of Lagos state.

    The scholars proffered that to achieve peace and harmony in the country, the government must be on her toes at all times.

    CIO Secretary General, Ustadh Luqman Yusuf enjoined security agencies to step up their intelligence gathering efforts stressing that the activities of the insurgents could be curbed if proper intelligence were conducted.

    “Those who are carryings out killings, kidnappings, ritual murder among other illicit acts are not super human and do not possess the kind of training our security agencies have, so they (security agencies) need to justify the confidence the society repose in them”.

    Failure to quickly curb the menace, he said, portends danger for the polity.

    Aside security issue, Ustadh Yusuf, said the forum was to remind the world that Islam stands for human progress, love and peace.

    In a lecture entitled: ‘Connection between correct understanding of Islam and peaceful nation’, CIO’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’i said, it is very imperative to practise pristine Islam to avoid conflicts being experienced everywhere.

    The revered scholar said there is perfect correlation between correct understanding of Islam and peaceful co-existence in the society.

    He urged Muslim youth to study and understand Islam very well before engaging in any activity.

    “A nation close to correct understand of Islam will experience peaceful life,” Shafi’i said.

    “Lack of correct understanding of religion will breed vices. In fact, scholars have opined that there should be proper mentoring of the youths in their practice of Islam. The problem in the society is because of wrong understanding of Islamic tenets. Those who are astray constitute nuisance to the nation,” he stated.

    The Islamic scholar also stated some things that he said must be upheld to achieve a peaceful society.

    He said: “There should be correct knowledge and conviction of Islam; practising with wisdom and friendship and tolerance towards others in the society.”

    In order to bring about genuine peace and just society, he said, government must provide security in all facets of life.

    Shafi’i said: “There are six things the Islamic Sharia’ has come to protect which should be the focus of all governments: security of life, religion, intellect, wealth and property, human dignity, and unborn babies.”

    He decried government dilly-dally on how best to resolve the botched recruitment examination into the Immigration Service.

    “The National Immigration Service jobs death still remains a national disaster. In fact, the government ought to resign because of the embarrassment the incident has brought to our nation. The automatic employment promised for the families of the victims is inadequate. From Islamic perspective, government should pay the blood money equivalent to N36 million for each victim,” he said.

    The second speaker, Sheik Abdul-Ganiy Adenle, who spoke on ‘Islamic values and culture: a mercy to mankind,’ said all what Islam brought is full of mercy to mankind, noting that even the philosophy of punishment is tantamount to be kindness to both the offender and the society at large.

    Sheik Adenle said: “Islamic culture and morals are stemmed from the root of mercy. The promulgation of Islamic law is a mercy from Allah: Hijab, the Muslim women mode of dressing, is to protect their honour and dignity; marriage in Islam has come to protect waywardness and children that will constitute nuisance in the society.

    “Equally inheritance distribution according to Islam is to avoid rancour and enmity that arise in property distribution to deceased children.

    “Even some prohibitions like intoxicants and fornication are served as security of life and health. So this is how we find in Islamic Shari’a justice, mercy and good life as enjoined by Allah.”

    He added that the non-Muslims should understand that Islam with its values and culture cannot be a cause of backwardness and restriction to human freedom.

  • Searching for peace in Southern Kaduna

    Searching for peace in Southern Kaduna

    In the comfort of the conference hall of the General Hassan Usman Katsina House popularly known as State House in Kaduna, the Michael Zuokumor-led peace committee engaged leaders of the Southern Kaduna people and the Fulani for two days. What were they discussing? How to end attacks on Southern Kaduna communities that have left several people dead in midnight attacks. Present at the meeting were various Fulani organisations as well as leaders of the communities that recently came under attack.

    Many others who have been attacked in the past or who still stand the risk of being attacked were left out.

    That did not go down well with Governor Mukthar Yero who told members of the committee that they should be holding the meeting in the villages affected by the attacks and not in the comfort of air conditioned conference all. Yero believes that holding the meeting in Kaura would have been the best option as it will give the victims the feeling that something positive was being done about their plight.

    Yero told the committee that they should make efforts to actively engage the local people in their assignment, pointing out that it is only through active interaction with those directly affected that the panel can identify the true causes as well as solutions to the crises. He noted that “the crisis is not about religion or ethnicity. It is being engineered by some people using religion just in their selfish interests adding that rather than hold reconciliation meetings with elites who are the ones escalating the situation for selfish aims, “the meeting should have been held in Kaura and other affected communities in order to involve people at the grassroots, so that you can sit down with the natives and Fulanis to resolve the matter.”

    Rather than listen to the opinion of the governor and possibly visit the scene of the attacks, the committee sat and held discussion with the supposed aggressors and victims. Interestingly, while the southern Kaduna people have consistently accused the fulanis of being the ones attacking their villages (about 37 of such attacks have taken place since 2011), the Fulanis have never agreed that they were responsible for such attacks.

    This explains why a coalition of civil societies and non-governmental organisations in the area are not comfortable with the meeting and the agreement that came out of it. Zuwaghu Bonat of the Southern Kaduna Development Associations Forum question the rationale for the meeting.

    He said, “are they telling us that the Fulanis that were there and purportedly signed the cease fire agreed that they were the ones killing our people? Did they agree that they are the ones killing our people? We need to know that categorically because if they are the ones killing our people, did they explain why they are killing our people? We never attacked them, but they say warring parties and we know that there is nothing like warring parties because we are not fighting with anybody.

    Therefore the question of signing a ceasefire does not arise. It is just another round of politics as far as we are concerned”.

    He is also not comfortable with holding the meeting without those he called the critical stakeholders who are supposed to be part of a peace deal if there will be anything like that. However, at the end of the meeting, leaders of the two groups allegedly agreed to a ceasefire even though many people in southern Kaduna, especially the youth does not believe that there is anything like cease fire since according to them, “we are not fighting anybody”.

    Zakari Sogfa, a former Commissioner for Justice in Kaduna State and coordinator of the CSO/CBO said they have every cause to believe that the “so called agreement” will not stand the test of time. According to him, “southern Kaduna is not the only place where they have signed such peace agreement. In Benue state, they did that and the following day, what happened? You cant abandon your basic responsibility as security forces and rely on peace and mediation to take over the constitutional role you are supposed to play. If I were at the meeting, I would have asked the DIG what guarantee he is giving the people to fall back on. How are we sure that if we sign this, worse things will not arise the following day like it happened in other places? The reports of peace and reconciliation meetings they have had in the past, why have they not implemented them? As we have stated, we are not fighting fulanis. It is the fulanis that are fighting us and the government has misunderstood it. It is not an issue of conflict, but an issue of genocide. The hypothesis here is that a group of people are bent on exterminating a section of the country and they are doing that with ferocity ad you are saying that the remedy is a peace meeting between the two sides. That is ridiculous. What you must do is to stop the carnage first and investigate to find out what is happening. Are you saying that if they kill my people, I should go and attend a peace meeting with those who are killing my people? The blood of those killed is crying out for justice and the justice the state can offer them is to call them to government house and humiliate them into signing an agreement. When was it prepared, who negotiated it, what are the terms? How can an agreement be binding on a people who are unaware of the terms and conditions?

     

  • Last word: IYC…Peace at what cost?

    •Last Word is Niger Delta Report’s verdict on Southsouth affairs

    The post-election crisis which tore the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) apart for about six months, the country was told some days back, is now over. Before then, there were concerns that the crisis could affect the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is Ijaw. So, it was not surprising that when it was resolved, the resolution was attributed to the interest of the 2015 ambition of Jonathan.

    While the crisis raged, it was like the heaven was going to fall. Allegations were bantered. The election, which produced the new leadership, was said to have been rigged. The number of delegates who voted were said to have been more than the accreditted delegates. Offices or age meant nothing to the agitators. They were just ready to rbbish whoever was not on their side. The ordinary people even felt the brunt because on more than one occasion, supporters of the major forces blocked roads in Bayelsa State, with threats flying left and centre.

    Reports indicate that Jonathan’s reelection featured prominently in most of the discussions which finally led to the sheathing of swords. The gladiators were ‘compelled’ to reach an agreement to save Jonathan’s re-election bid. It was said that many were of the opinion that allowing the crisis to continue would affect Jonathan’s electoral fortunes.

    What this means is that the October 2013 election which produced Udens Eradiri as the President of IYC stands. Some weeks back, Eradiri had carpetted an Abuja meeting at the residence of the Ijaw Leader, E.K Clark. The meeting caused many ripples and further divided the youth body. The outcome of the meeting was seen by confidants of Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and Eradiri as dangerous to the Jonathan’s ambition. The meeting announced the dissolution of the structures of IYC.

    The Lagos meeting, which was championed by the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, persuaded aggrieved candidates to give peace a chance . And it is believed to have worked the miracle.

    Prominent Ijaw leaders, including Clark, former Minister of Police Affairs Broderick Bozimo and Bayelsa State Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs Dr. Felix Tuodolor, played key roles in the new-found peace.

    Commenting on the state of things, Clark, speaking through Bozimo, urged Ijaw people to unite to galvanise support for Jonathan in his re-election bid.

    He said: “We all know that this is indeed a trying times for the Ijaw nation and IYC is the foot soldiers of the Ijaw. There is need for unity among us to be able to rally support for our son, President Goodluck Jonathan in his 2015 re-election bid.

    “I am happy the Ijaw youths have closed ranks and put all their differences behind them. I am happy that Eradiri said the struggle for Ijaw unity would be taken to an intellectual level through capacity building for the youth.”

    Bozimo, speaking for himself, said: “We are totally committed to the Jonathan project. All of us in the Ijaw land are with Jonathan 100 per cent. We are urging him to contest and it has to be done peacefully because he is going to win.”

    Tuodolor said: “The election was controversial, but we thank God we have resolved it. Edwin Clark, Kingsley Kuku and other respectable Ijaw leaders joined the peace process and ensured the crisis was resolved.

    “As we have come together, let us forgive ourselves. Out there, there is a big battle for the Ijaw people. We can only win if we are united.”

    But, the peace was not for nothing. Most of the agitators, especially persons who contested the presidential election against Eradiri, were promised one largesse or the other. What this will cost the Bayelsa State government and the Amnesty Office in naira and kobo will never be made public. In the real sense of it, the peace was bought and not really from the heart of the gladiators. It was a cse of nothing goes for nothing. Some may say what is wrong in that when in the first place, the quest for leadership of the body was all about being properly positioned to benefit from the national cake, which incidentally, is being shared by their son, Jonathan.

  • The price of peace

    The price of peace

    The greatest evil in the world today is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbour who lives at the roadside assaulted by exploitation, corruption, poverty and disease.” – Mother Teresa

    In every civilisation, humanity witnesses countless wars. We have endured, for centuries, episodes of tyranny, anarchy and murder. Beyond doubt, the quest for power, economic independence, psychological wellbeing, technological freedom as well as territorial dominance can be said to be raison d’etre for the conflicts and rivalries that have ruined our world today.

    However, with increasing knowledge and wisdom, war is proving to be the least option in the quest for political dominance. If war is supposed to be less fashionable, then I must hastily ask these questions: Will our world ever be devoid of wars, genocide crimes, terrorism, tribal clashes and communal conflicts? Particularly, when will Nigeria be released from the shackles of oppression, torment and grief? When will Middle-East know peace?

    I can remember that tales of wars and battles were captured in the Holy Bible, which gives accounts of how empires were destroyed, how troops were conquered on battlefields and how thrones and dominions were overthrown. This means that from time immemorial, the world has not known peace. Why is peace elusive? What then is meant by peace?

    Peace can be described as a state of civil harmony, societal sanity, mutual co-existence between immiscible tribes and cordial interrelationship between societies, communities and countries of the world. In other words, peace means freedom from conflict or disagreement among people or groups of people. Where there is no peace there cannot be development. But how can we seek an end to wars, if it serves as an avenue for political propaganda and a means to generate wealth?

    Nigeria is not the realm of peace. Daily, we hear news of bloodbath and gory narratives of massacres. We are held hostage by agents of lawlessness, who have in recent years shatter the tranquility we enjoy as a nation. In our search for peace, our leaders throw money at every cause of our problem. The question then is: how much do we have to pay to enjoy peace?

    In the wake of the pervading insecurity rocking the Northeastern part of the country, General Yakubu Gowon said: “What is happening today is not the kind of country we inherited and for us, it cannot be the North we desire to bequeath to the children. The present state of the Northern Nigeria was not bequeathed to us neither are our children responsible for it.”

    For turning that otherwise peaceful region to a theatre of war, our founding fathers will never forgive us. This is a country they laboured to build. They wanted us to live in a society anchored on equity, justice and accountability. But these values have disappeared. Our roofs are on fire with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

    We wake up each day with fear that insecurity may consume this country. This is a country that had once witnessed economic prosperity and quality leadership and peace. In fact, tolerance was the very pillar that defined our existence.

    What then happened to peace, unity, harmony and progress? I thought those were our trademarks as a nation; what happened to our belief in unity in diversity? The country I grew up to know unexpectedly has changed before my eyes; the dreams of our youths are short-lived, even the younger generations are not allowed to exercise their patriotism anymore.

    As terrorism creeps into the country, tyranny becomes the order of the day. From incessant blowing up of our towns, cities, universities, media houses, and religious temples, we have witnessed suicide bombings and killing of innocent people for no just cause.

    Yet attempts to dialogue with the culprits hardly become successful. As we march forward in our struggle to regain harmony, we should not be swayed by the lackadaisical attitude put up by the ruling class towards the attainment of this goal. Rather, all hands must be on deck to collectively advocate the need for a peaceful co-existence with one another regardless of ethnic, tribal and religious differences. This is the price we all have to pay for peace to reign in Nigeria.

    Let us promote the cause of peace to honour our fellow compatriots, who have lost their lives in the course of making Nigeria a united nation. There is no great nation that did not pass through its own trying times. This is perhaps ours; and we should strive to survive it. I believe our action today can end hostilities across the land.

    Tolulope, 400-Level Urban and Regional Planning, FUT MINNA

     

  • Monarch sues for peace

    Monarch sues for peace

    The Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, has advised the newly installed traditional ruler of Rimba community in the council, Alhaji Abubakar Jiya, to ensure that peace reigns among farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the area.

    Yunusa, who gave the advice while turbaning Abubakar Jiya at his palace as the new Etsu of Rimba community, said he would not hesitate to summon the traditional ruler to his palace any time there is clash or misunderstanding between farmers and Fulani herdsmen at the community.

    He advised the monarch to ensure that his subjects, especially youths, acquire both western and Islamic education so that they would compete with others in the society, adding that it is necessary for the monarch to abide by any rules and regulations that guide the traditional institution of the palace and that of the government.

    He also advised the traditional ruler to intensify efforts in ensuring that he provides job opportunities for youths of the community and hands/skills acquisition as well as trading in order to divert their attention from social vices that may dent the image of the community.

    The monarch, however, urged the traditional ruler to always ensure he operates an open door policy so that his people would have a free mind to present any useful advice that will always enhance peace, progress and development of the community.

    “I want to inform you that this palace will not take no notice of any person conferred with any chieftaincy title that slaps or assaults his people even his wife. You should never molestanybody. Any time we receive report that you molested or slapped any of your subjects, we will not hesitate to remove your turban,” he warned.

    Also speaking, the Secretary of Local Education Authority (LEA) of the council, Alhaji Hassan Suleiman who attended the turbaning ceremony, commended the kingmakers of the community for unanimously selecting one of their sons as their village head.

    He described the newly installed Etsu Rimba as a humble and hard working person that has worked under him for over 10 years. He expressed his optimism that the new monarch will, no doubt, withstand the challenges of leadership to achieve peace in the community.

  • Kaduna Govt. to use sports for unity, peace

    Bashir Birnin-Gwari, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, on Wednesday pledged to use sports to unite the people of the state.

    Birnin-Gwari told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the state governor specifically appointed him as a commissioner to unify all youths in Kaduna. He added that NYSC members posted to the state were able to round off their programme with a passing out parade to show the current level of peace.

    “Our position in Kaduna is to make sure that we use sports to make peace, to bring everybody together and that was the reason the governor appointed me as the commissioner of youth and sports.

  • Borno’s sports chief says peace will improve athletes’ performances

    Borno’s sports chief says peace will improve athletes’ performances

    The Director of the Borno Sports Council, Mohammed Bashir, on Wednesday expressed optimism that the state would perform optimally in sports competitions as its security challenges had reduced.

    Bashir told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone that security measures in place in the state would enable athletes to concentrate on training. He said the sports council had been revived while zonal competitions had started among athletes.

    The official said the council was planning to organise competitions for secondary schools in the state.

    “We decided to involve the ministries of education and local government this year. Our goal is to discover and develop grassroots athletes in schools in rural areas,” Bashir said.

    The director revealed that scholarships would be awarded to athletes who distinguished themselves at the competitions. He told NAN that the state would be competing in cycling at the 9th Garden City National Cycling Championship to hold on Feb. 9 in Port Harcourt.

    “Our athletes are improving; so, we are sure they will perform greatly and make us proud in Port Harcourt,” he said.

  • Traditional rulers urge peace among Ndigbo

    The Association of Traditional Council of Ndieze in the Diaspora has urged the Igbo at home and abroad to embrace unity for the development of their communities.

    At its quarterly meeting held at the palace of Eze Ndigbo in Akure, Ondo State capital, Eze Gregory Iloehika, the community leaders noted that acrimony among its people would retard their progress.

    He said the crisis rocking the association in Adamawa State was being tackled, stressing that a delegation would be sent to the state to provide first-hand information on the development.

    Besides, he said another committee would be set up to look into the matter in order to find amicable settlement to the crisis.

    In his remarks, the President-General of the association, Eze Hyancith Ohazulike Nkpume 11 (OON), said another delegation was sent to Accra, Ghana to settle the dispute between two contenders to the office of Igwe Ghana.

    Consequently, he said, Eze Geofrey Mokwugwo was selected to occupy the position.

    According to him, the new Igwe Ghana had diligently handled various positions within Igbo community in Ghana and was crowned for recognition by relevant authorities in Ghana.

    Eze Mokwugwo is also the grand patron of Anambra Progressive Union in Ghana and chairman, Worldwide Investment, who hails from Awkuzu in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

  • KIND inducts peace project learning community

    The Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), through its peace project-Nigeria’s exemplars of love and forgiveness http://www.nijaexemplarsoflove-forgiveness.org/ has inducted a regional member based learning community in support of her peace initiative.

     

    The learning community is made up of individuals and organisations from the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria who are committed to championing the need for a credible knowledge base that ensures credibility in the process of nomination and for direct linkages to active but unsung heroes of peace.

     

    Community members (organization) include: Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC) headquartered in Kaduna, Bauchi based Christian Muslim Peace Movement, Adamawa Peace Makers Initiative, Jos based Youth Peace and Empowerment Program, South-South OneDreamNigeria (a clap of thunder for peace and child alert), Lagos based Peace and Development Projects (PEDEP),

     

    Individual members of the learning community include from North-Central- Mr. Sadeeq Musa Hong , North-East- Mrs. Charity Garba and Mr. Aminu Garba Sidi and North-West- Mr. Umar Farouk Mohammed and Ms. Andy Bako Peace .

     

    Others are South-East- Ms. Anthonia Echefu and Imam Animasaun , South-South-Sir Alex Rostum and South West-Mrs. Taiwo Akinlembola and Mr. Francis Banji Abayomi

     

    The peace project according to the Administrator, Steve Aborishade  is designed to recognize, learn and share from, and contribute to the process of community and individual peace building initiatives through identified peace actors working within communities in the country.

     

    US based Fetzer Institute is collaborating with KIND on this initiative.

  • Sustaining peace within the sport circle

    Recently, we have been able to enjoy some level of decorum and respite within the sporting fraternity in Nigeria and the resultant effect of such is evident through the various successes recorded in the sport community irrespective of the sport in focus we have been able to experience a reasonable peace within the sport community.

    However, I have come to realize that this peace is only temporary and if something drastic is not done to stop the brewing keg of gun powder as been orchestrated between the legislators and sport managers we may find ourselves back into the trenches as this time we may not hear the last of the impending battle.

    My concern basically is born out of my desire to seeing that sport business strives in Nigeria and we cannot develop the sector if and when we keep having squabbles within the polity. I have often said before now that the problems of our sport is hydra headed but good a thing we have been able to manage this problems significantly and as such we should not allow personal ego and office to derail the current peace within the Nigeria Sport space.

    Many have said that we are not able to manage our differences especially when it comes to issues that borders on personal sentiment and official ego however, I am seriously convinced on the fact that we have the capacity to address whatever issue that is needed to be addressed.

    It is not in my attitude to be dragged into political issues but the fact is that if the sporting political space is at war then there will be no significant progress that will be made in the sport circle. Unlike what used to be the case before now we now see the National Sports Commission working together with the Nigeria Football Federation towards advancing the growth and development of the game of football in Nigeria

    This trend is also evident in other sport federations as we are gradually beginning to see the need to work as a unit towards developing the sport sector rather than working independently and at opposites. Let me also appeal to those who derive pleasure in seeing that the sport sector is destabilized that they should take a walk away from sport because their antics of creating problems will no longer hold water.

    Another issue that calls for attention is the current state of all recalled federation secretaries back to the National Sports Commission while appreciating the foresight of the egg heads at the NSC towards encouraging the independence of each sport federation to employ their own staff, it is expedient to note, that the process for this call need to be evaluated on the basics of change theory.

    While, I am not against change at any given time I strongly will oppose any change that will move the recipients from their comfort zone to the panic zone because whenever such occurs the entire benefit for embarking on such change becomes fruitless and useless. What happens to scenario plan and strategic evaluation because I have failed to understand why the sudden withdrawal of the secretaries without a plan for their immediate replacement or otherwise.

    Am sure the egg heads at the NSC will be working very hard in addressing these issues as we cannot have federations without qualified secretaries nor have qualified secretaries without offices due to a change that ordinarily would have been transformational.

    Coming back to the need for peace in the polity I think we need to acknowledge the fact that the current leadership of the National Sports Commission should be given credit for this noble achievement as they have succeeded in creating a workable ambiance within the sport community and this in turn has translated to the current development and progress that we have recorded over time.

    I need to also mention, that the Presidency should see the sport sector as a very important sector that needs to be sustained as such I do not see the need for there to be any change of baton at this time considering the way and manner the leadership of the NSC have been conducting affairs within the sector rather, there is the need for there to be more support towards the sport sector to enable the sector develop

    Sport is no more a place for mediocrity it is serious business as such we need to always have it at the back of our mind that the sustainability of the sector is fundamental towards the eventual transformation of the sector into an economic asset to the nation and the Nigerian people.