NUPEC ‘ll end Boko Haram, herdsmen/farmers’ crises – Nneji

Dr. Chinedu Nneji is the Commandant General, National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC). In this interview with BODE OLAGOKE, he speaks on the recent passage of Peace Corps’ Bill by the Senate, the impacts it will have on the country and others

The passage of the Peace Corps Bill by the National Assembly the senate, what does it mean to you?
The passage of the Peace Corps Bill by the Senate means that Nigeria has come very far and Nigerians should expect good things to come. It also shows that the unity of the country is sacrosanct. It also shows in unism that all ethnic groups in Nigeria have spoken with one voice to vote for the unity of the country. So this is exactly what that bill shows.

How do you think that Nigerians will benefit from this?
In the first place it is a Bill that seeks to unit all the ethnic groups that make up the country. And for Nigeria and the Nigerian youths, they will enjoy total atmosphere of peace. They will enjoy employment from government. They will also enjoy the opportunity with various ethnic groups to discuss their problems. They will also witness a situation where there will be a resolution of crises between herdsmen and farmers. There will also be an avenue for issues of Boko Haram to be tabled and discussed and amicable solutions reached. It will also be avenue for Nigerians in diaspora to contribute in the area of peaceful resolutions of the crises in Nigeria. It will also serve as an opportunity for this government to institutionalise their change mantra. It will also help those of us who are already working to experience peace in our society.

The Bill was passed on the 25th of November. How much do you think Nigerians have welcomed this agency before this passage?
Let me start by telling you that Nigerians in diaspora and those of us at home have actually been applauding the efforts of Nigerian National Assembly to pass this bill. An example is what happened in the carol of nine lessons. You could see how the entire Nigeria media houses came together and at that point anaward was given to Peace Corps in Nigeria, it also shows that everybody has recognised that fact. And even in the National Assembly, senators were present, former Nigerian Presidents were there and you saw the way all of them were clapping and saying yes, Nigeria needs peace now more than ever before.
And if you recall, the crises we have been having in the Nigeria over the years especially in the recent past where we have witnessed loss of lives and properties. We are calling on Nigerians, that avenue of passage of this bill, Nigerians who have been yearning for peace and seen the avenue of reducing the loss of lives to the barest minimum have also welcomed this arrangement. Recall in Kaduna recently, there was loss of lives and properties as a result of inability of our people to understand one another. Recall also in northern parts of the country where we witnessed such things. The emergence of this bill has brought an avenue for those things to be resolved. Nigerians have been asking us, when we are taking off so that issues like this could be resolved amicably.

There was information that some agencies government were against the passage of this Bill. How did you cope with this opposition?
Just like you do when election is usually held, the people that are calling government not to grant assent to the bill, if you ask me from my own estimate are just 10 percent out of hundred. Public hearing usually in our law is an arrangement where people come and defend either say in favour or against any bill that is about to be passed. In this time this bill was presented for public hearing, 97 percent of people that came supported it. And this people that came are from various agencies, private institutions as well as individuals, emirate councils, they came together in one voice and supported including NYSC because they know that graduates have been rolled out of the country over the years and there are no employment that has been created. It is only when we to this new administration that the issue of employment now came up and government was now looking for ways of creating employment. It is going to help Nigerians.

In your aims and objectives you said that the corps will serve as a link between government and citizens, by practicing the noble intention of the government to the people at the grass root in a more rigorous and effective manner. Government come and go and they have made a lot of unfulfilled promises to the youth. How do you intend to achieve this?
Let me also tell you that with what we are doing today, we are not going to do the normal thing. I was in Japan and there was a culture created in Japan where every citizen or Japan from childhood to adulthood, they institutionalised cleanliness in their culture such that in Japan today, they almost sweep their house more than ten times a day. This is a culture that has been created by people.
In Nigeria, we need to create the culture of dialogue when there is dispute, we want to create a culture of peace. From this what we intend to do is that we intend to create what we call mediation centres in all our communities. This mediation centres, we want to institutionalise it in such a manner that those mediation centres will keep existing. Government can come and go but those mediation centres will be there. The moment you institutionalise it and make sure that the people imbibe the spirit of dialogue when there is dispute, then you will see that the country will be a better place.
Take for instance, you have me, you have a Fulani herdsman, you have a farmer, you have a dispute over farmland, over grazing reserve and all that, by the time you bring them to a round table discussion, would you think that there will be an amicable resolution of the crises rather than a situation where people will take to jungle justice and begin to maim one another in a country where we are supposed to exist in oneness.

Before now, you must have achieved one and two things that gave the national assembly the guts to pass your bill. What are those things you think you have achieved so far or you have mediated in the past?
I want to start with the Ife-Modakeke crises. Some of you may not know that the National Peace Corps played a vital role in that. You will also recall that issue of Ezza and Izzi crises in Ebonyi state, there is also the issue of Jukun and Fulani in Taraba state and there is also an issue that has to do with the Umuleri and Aguleri crises in Anambra State. We have brought this issue to a stop due to the effectiveness of our mediation counselling and we intend to do more because there are areas begging for answers. And I have already mentioned here that the issue of Boko Haram which has been begging for answers that we shall step into it. And I want to assure Nigerians that as soon as Peace Corps take off, the country will witness peace now more than ever before.

There is also the issue between National Peace Corps and National Unity and Peace Corps. Are you people having any issues? How do you intend to resolve it?
I want to assure you that between National Peace Corps of Nigeria and National Unity and Peace Corps, there is no difference, there is no issue at all, there is no problem at all existing between the two organisations. First of all I want to start by telling you that we are all Nigerians and because we believe in the same thing that is peaceful resolution of crises, controlling all those issues that will lead to crises and making sure that Nigerians live a better live as citizens. So whatever differences you see are individual differences but collectively and objectively, we are one. And as you may see now, as soon as the President gives accent to this bill, the two organisations will bring their staff strength together and work with a common purpose of trying to make sure that the organisation exists and the country unites.
Again where there are crises, we support the idea that resolutions should be reached, dialogue should be the panacea for peace and that any time there is crises, we should find a way of resolving it. It won’t be proper for us as peace makers not to demonstrate that to our people. My approach has always been that if there are any problems, any crises, any misunderstanding, we will toe the path of dialogue and the path of peace. For Peace Corps Nigerian and National Unity and Peace Corps, today we are now Nigerian Peace Corps and one.

So what is your appeal to the President of Nigeria on the Peace Corps?
President MuhammaduBuhari is a man of faith and a man of integrity. He is a man of change and he has launched what we call the change mantra. We have seen him and he has demonstrated that in his administration new agencies have emerged. This is one of them; Nigerian Peace Corps bill is one of them. So we are appealing to him to give accent to that bill.

You know, we use to say try National Unity and Peace Corps and Nigerian Peace Corps and see if there will not be total peace in this country. Give Nigerians three months as soon as the President gives accent to the bill, who knows we will bring total peace in this county and Nigerians will go about their normal duties. In United Arab Emirates, if you go to that country, the crime rate is almost at zero percent. In Nigeria, we can equally witness that. If you engage youths, give them employment, provide them with the opportunity to use their God given endowment to bring total peace in the country, you will see that there won’t be problems.