Kaduna Communities Advocate Extension Of Zaman Tare Project After 2023, Seek Govt Collaboration

By Frederick Peters, KADUNA

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA– Some Kaduna communities have called for the extension of the Zaman Tare Project of the Caritas Foundation in the state and country so as to reach out to other areas initially, not captured, while sustaining the gains so far achieved in areas captured and visited.

The communities advocated that owing to the commendable activities of Zaman Tare, in Jos and selected metropolitan LGAs of Kaduna state, there’s the need for extension of their mandate to reach out to other areas most in need, particularly as we look forward to the 2023 elections, with a call on Government for collaboration to achieve more in the issues of Peace and tolerance in the state and country.

This forms part of the findings and recommendations by the MSc and Postgraduates students of Kaduna state university, under the ZamanTare scholarship at the ongoing public lecture and dissemination of information and findings of their research works on Wednesday.

Similarly, a Msc student of the Dept of political science, Mr Philip Reuben, whose scholarly work is ” A comparative study on peace building and tolerance in Mararaban- Rido and Rido community of chikun LGA of Kaduna state, 2019-21″ called on the sponsors of the Zaman Tare project to extend its lifespan to cover other areas, while sustaining the gains achieved so far.

According to his findings ” Zaman Tare is recognized in Mararaban- Rido, but not in Rido community and we all know that both communities are heterogeneous, but M/Rido is more heterogeneous in the sense that it comprises of civil servants, business people and people into mechanised farming unlike Rido community that is Agrarian “

While reaffirming the existence of Zaman Tare in M/Rido and its absence in Rido community, said ” we also discovered that Zaman Tare played a key role in building peace and tolerance and unity among the people of Mararaban- Rido, Zaman Tare also helped encouraged people that left the community as a result of crisis to come back and continue their businesses

” Some of them did not just come back, but were able to rebuild their homes and today are back residing in Mararaban- Rido adding that, Zaman Tare has ensured and built confidence in the people whereby people from every nook and cranny are doing their businesses on a daily basis ” he pointed out.

He then recommended the need for collaboration between Zaman Tare and government and other institutions of learning, ” to inculcate what the project is doing in their courses and curriculum, so that it will help reoriented our youths on the importance of religious and cultural tolerance, adding that ” Zaman Tare Should please sustain this program and also extend it to other communities, like Rido community, and sustain it in M/Rido community” he added

While recommending training and re-training of focal people and community leaders to continue their efforts in their host communities, he called for special recognition of participants of the program adding that the focal people should be awarded to encourage them and to help sustain the project.

In the same vein, MSc student of conflict, peace and strategic studies, Department of political science, Mr Saidu Musa whose research” An assessment of the effect of Zaman Tare in peace building in Angwan- Rimi community in Kaduna north KGA of Kaduna state, pointed out that in the course of his research

” I was able able to find out that the program Zaman Tare has played a great role in promoting cultural, religious and inclusive environment for the promotion of Peace within the U/rimi community, adding ” the research showed there existed peaceful coexistence between the Muslims and Christians in the community to the extend that during Sallah and Christmas celebrations they exchange visits”

He however found a challenge saying’ there’s the lack of political will on the side of the government, they need to put more efforts to the extend that the program called Zaman Tare can be sustained and other communities need to be extended to and captured; so that they too can be beneficiaries of this great program” he stressed

Speaking, a MSC students of the Department of Political science, Mr Nasir Tajudeen, whose research work centred on ‘ The effect of Zaman Tare in building tolerance in Makera community of KSLGA of Kaduna state’ said ” he discovered that Zaman Tare is present in Makera to the extend that the do have Radio programs on a weekly basis, they also have a 20- man committee that use to meet every week, but however, noted that the youths are not fully represented, as there are only 4 members , which is not encouraging “

While recommending that ” the number should be increased and more youths should be included, because when you talk about the issues of crisis, it is the youths that are the centre stage” hence the need to carry them along to mobilise their fellow youths in ensuring tolerance in the community.

He further recommended that religious and traditional leaders, women and youth leaders should continue with what they are doing in sustaining interreligious collaboration in the community to enhance tolerance ” the issue of tolerance is fast becoming synonymous with this community and we hope Zaman Tare will extend it to other communities ” he added

On her part, a stakeholder of one of the communities visited and Women leader Zaman Tare, Malali community, Mrs Rhoda Giwa, while commending the quality presentation by the students, said” the presentation today was very okay and it showed that the students went down to the communities to do their research. She commended the efforts of researcher that visited her community, adding that ” Zaman Tare has been a tool of reuniting and bringing peaceful coexistence again in Malali community “

ZAMAN TARE is a project of Caritas Nigeria, Funded by European Union, (EU) in partnership with CAFOD and DREP, and it is presently operating in Kaduna and Plateau states in Nigeria and Niger Republic respectively