By Frederick Peters, KADUNA
NEWSDAILYNIGERIA- The Community mitigation and management regional council ( CMMRC), a structure under the Interfaith Mediation Centre, (IMC)- CIPP program, has embarked on a peace and conflict intervention to Ungwar Rimi and ungwar Kudu in Kaduna north LGA of the State.
The one day interaction held on Wednesday attracted Religious leaders, community leaders, women and youths and other stakeholders from the two neighbouring communities
Speaking the Public Relation Officer, CMMRC, Kaduna state chapter, Comrade Silas Danladi Kure, said the intervention to the community is as a result of an information the gathered that during the last sallah celebration the Muslim community invited the Christian families once living in Unguwar Rimi and Unguwar Kudu communities but have now relocated for fear of the unknown.
He said the Christian residents who sold their houses and relocated to safer communities due to what they considered lack of peace and unity were invited to ungwar Rimi by the Muslim community and they celebrated Sallah with them.
According to him, the meeting discussed issues with the Imams, Pastors and they admonished the people ” and we gave room for interaction for the way forward and how the issues of conflicts can be curtailed; so we believe the targeted communities have listened to us carefully and have promised us that at the end of the day they are going to take the message back home” he added
Impressed by the outcome of the visit, he noted that they communities have resolved to live in peace, ” and for the few Christians living in Unguwar Rimi and Unguwar Kudu, they pleaded with them not to sell their homes, assuring them of safety, peaceful coexistence, freedom from any rancour and victimization, he stated
In his remarks, the CAN secretary, 19 Northern States and Abuja, Rev. Dr. Sunday Ibrahim, said God made Man in His image and likeness and ” looking at the attendance, the participants cut across people of different faiths and tribes, pointing out that God did not say let us make Man according to our religion or according to our tribe
“But he said, according to our image, that is to say, the first thing is that we are the image of God created in His likeness, so the issue of killing ourselves in the name religion does not even arise, adding that the major issue is that “We religionize , politicize and ethniticize and brought a lot of things uncalled for” resulting to wanton killings and insecurity in the country.
While lamenting the state of segregated communities in the state along religious lines, he said. ” and the reason why we have gotten to where we are to a large extend, the government is not sincere ” owing to injustice, lack of fairness and merit among others; wondering why we ” promote people based on their religion or ethnicity.
While advocating for patriotism and respect for merit against other parochial considerations he said ” If we sit down and see ourselves as Nigerians, humans created in the image of God, I believe this country will be one of the best places one would ever want to live in” he averred.
Similarly, the Chief Imam of Ungwar Rimi, Mosque, Mallam Musa Yahaya, remarked that Christianity and Islam came through the Abrahamic lineage hence no justification for conflicts, but however noted that ignorance and lack of knowledge about the two religions by some adherents as the bane.
According to him, Christians were best of neighbours to Muslims at the time of the Prophet wondering why things have gone sour, He however noted that human greed and negative struggles in the world are the reasons why crisis and conflicts exist and strive, while admonishing people to be good to each other and be at peace
He maintained that he does not have any enemy whether a Christian or Muslim, since he cannot judge the position of that person before God pointing out that the enemy we think we have is ourselves. While commending the intervention/ visit, called for peace and together for the people of Muslim- Christian community in Ungwar Rimi/Kudu.
In the same vein, Malam Mohammed Sufi of IMC, reiterated that because we cane from the same God there’s need for all to live together in peace, adding that, Prayer and fasting are good but the best of faith is to live in peace with people of other faiths and desist from defrauding and fighting anyone.
He lamented how our society is now characterized with insurgency, kidnapping, banditry , ransom payment and killings, adding that in every community you have the good and the bad ( Muslims, Christians) but maintained that they are not instructed by such religion to do bad but to do good, thus he called for change of attitudes.
A physical challenged person, Mr Micah Shabi, while commending the initiative called for inclusiveness, thus involving people living with disability in future events, to contribute their quota because they are both victims and culprits as some of them go into drugs and others in the past were used to cause conflicts.
On her part, Mrs Gloria Yakubu, a resident of Ungwar Kudu community, said she has been in community since the 60s and greatly appreciated the visit by IMC, praying that the message of peaceful coexistence is taken to the Youths, who are the ones used in most cases to attack people during crisis situations
According to her, until this visit and intervention by CMMRC they have decided to sell their house and relocate due to fear of attacks and that the rate of Christians leaving the community is alarming, but now she has decided to remain, based on the assurances and resolution reached in today’s meeting and hoped it is taken seriously.
Further more , a joint committee of 9 persons was constituted to follow-up on the resolutions to ensure that peace is sustained.
Conflict Mitigation Council Takes Peace, Conflict Resolution Intervention To Ungwar Rimi/ Kudu Communities
