…Warns against accidental clerics
By Achadu Gabrie,l kaduna
Representatives of Igbo, Middle Belt youths, district heads, religious leaders and acting Director Bureau of interfaith kaduna State joined the monthly forum on peace journalism held at interfaith mediation centre (IMC) Kaduna, preaching peace, equal rights, treatment and religion.
In a communique at the end of monthly forum organized for Media practitioners on peace journalism, participants
called on followers of the two major religion to be weary of accidental religious preachers and estreemists because of violent instigated styles of preaching, so that peace and security of lives and prosperities would be guaranteed.
Participants in forum organized by IMC also called on all religious leaders and other citizens across the country to be mindful of their utterances on sensitive issues capable of causing violent conflicts and lead the country to uprising.
The Forum with Media on Peace Journalism on the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace (CIPP) programme earlier reflected on quit notice in parts of Southwesr, Kano, the bandits killings in kaduna, among other things as well as Dr Gumi commentaries, saying it could trigger violent conflicts around in Nigeria.
In the Forum on overview within the month of February 2021, observed that statement that could trigger voilence and disunity should be avoided in order not to endanger the lives of the citizens.
While calling on the general public to disregard comments that can lead to violence in Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole, they also lamented over the increase rate of Kidnapping and killing of innocent people in some part of the country which has also led to increase number of widows and orphans, as well as economic hardship, in the country.
According to them, as a result of redeployment of heavy security personals along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway, kidnappers/bandits along the rout have now moved to the Southern part of Kaduna, terrorizing communities in the region.
“Furthermore, it was observed that the menace has forcefully led to people of affected communities to migrate to other environment for the safety of their lives.
“In this regard farmers in the affected communities, had abandoned their farmlands, this might lead to food crises and increase in manultrition in the region and other parts of the country”, they stated.
While citing a wrong figures of Fulani that migrated from the southern part of the country to Ladduga community in Southern Kaduna, over the recent Quit notice which was published in some media, they urged media practioners in the country to ensure they cross check their facts before going to press, especially on issues that has to with security.
The participants commented the threat by some politicians especially in Northern Nigeria, directing their supporters to reserved their weapons to defend themselves ahead of the 2023 general elections, and we see this a big threat to peace and stability of the country.
They lamented over the attacks on Secondary Schools in northern Nigeria, especially in the boarding schools, saying that the menace has significantly caused a major set back on educational
development in the region.
“We are appealing to the States government to provide the security of the students and teachers in both public and private Institutions”, while also urged religious leaders in the country to always preach on the need for peaceful co-existence amongst their followers, so that we will have a conducive environment for all Nigerians.
