By Abubakar Labaran
Kafanchan A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, has identifi ed “communication gap, poverty, unemployment, indigene/settlers dichotomy, and hate speeches by traditional, religious and political leaders” among others as the factors that promoted hate and lead to crises in Southern Kaduna. One of the coordinators of the organisation, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, said this at the weekend at the Southern Kaduna Peace and Reconciliation meeting in Kafanchan. Hayab told stakeholders in the area, who attended the meeting, especially religious leaders, to discard hate speeches and mobilise their followers geared to grooming them on the importance of coexisting peacefully irrespective of any diff erence.
Also speaking, another coordinator, Sheikh Halliru Maraya, said Southern Kaduna was enriched with both human and mineral resources, but incessant crises have aff ected the area, which has slowed down development. Maraya called the people of the area to stop fi ghting one another which have resulted to wasting of lives and property. Sheikh said “unless every one of us act upon the teaching of his religion that peace can be established” noting that religion is a way of building a relationship between man and his Creator “we are all created by God and belong to one family under God.” In his remarks, the country director of the organisation, Mr. John Oko, appealed to the people of the area to continue to live peacefully with one another, noting that without that, there would be no meaningful development. According to him, the organisation has done a lot in bringing communities that have been plagued with crises together, to dialogue and fi nd lasting solution.
