The National Peace Committee chaired by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has enjoined the Federal Government to examine reports of the previous National Conferences as basis for further and continuing dialogue on co-existence among communities in Nigeria.
Disturbed by the recent hate speeches from sections of the country, the committee in a statement titled “A call for Restraint” jointly signed by General Abubakar and Secretary of the Committee, Most Rev Mathew Hassan Kukah, noted that the drums of rising division reflect the perceptions by the citizens that there is poor governance in Nigeria today.
Specifically, the Committee enjoined the government to study the report of the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) of 2005 and “other National Conferences”, apparently referring to the National Conference organised by President Goodluck Jonathan Government in 2014.
They noted that “politicians who have failed in delivering on the mandate of the electorate for better livelihoods and neighbourhoods have, instead, found common cause with advocates of division and hate.
“In many parts of the country, young people who have been left without means of livelihood or hope in their future have become converts to radicalization preached by demagogues in various guises including ethnicity and religion.
“We have lost too many of our citizens to random and diverse acts of violence, have many more maimed for life or living in displacement. Tens of thousands of children have been orphaned by conflict and millions of our fellow citizens now face threats of starvation in the face of rising food insecurity.
“In many parts of the country, mass killings go unpunished and unresolved, inter-communal clashes have become chronic, economic deprivations and growing social exclusion and feelings of alienation, particularly among the youths are being exploited by segments of the elite with potentially dangerous and painful consequences for us all.
“These developments are sources of serious concern for the National Peace Committee. We know, of course that we are not alone in our worries and would like to commend the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo, SAN, GCON, for engaging with leaders of influence across the South-East and North in a bid to check the rise of mutual hostility and tension that have been stoked by elements from parts of the country.
“Nonetheless, the National Peace Committee appeals to further voices of leadership, reason and moderation from all communities in the country to reinforce the message of the Acting President.
“We cannot afford at this or any other time to stoke the fires of hate and divisiveness in our body politic especially when ordinary Nigerians are engaged in difficult struggles to secure their livelihood, amidst rising insecurity and increasing fear,” the statement reads in part.
The National Peace Committee posits that “more than ever before, we need government at all levels, which work for the people, with commitment to respect for the rule of law and to the security and well wellbeing of persons and communities in the country.
“We also need credible institutions, an economy that guarantees a fair deal and outcome for hardworking people, better physical infrastructures and an enabling environment in which citizens can thrive.
“The National Peace Committee therefore calls on State governments to commit to developing their own people more and relying less on Abuja to fund their consumption through monthly allocations.”
While reiterating that “Nigerians need an effective state that we can all call our own, the National Peace Committee makes the following recommendations:
1. Appeals that on-going efforts to reach out to leaders from various parts of the country should be broadened into honest dialogue with all segments of the Nigerian population to ensure that ordinary citizens get the opportunity to convey their views to government at the highest levels and get carried along in the formulation and implementation of government policies;
2. Underscores the need for government to urgently work with the private and voluntary sectors to put in place measures to address the crisis of skills and jobs as key vectors of radicalization;
3. Recommends to the federal government to review, update and enforce all laws relating to citizenship in Nigeria to ensure the equality of all under the law;
4. Advises the government to consult on the possibility of examining the reports of the Political Reforms Conference of 2005 and other National Conferences as basis for further and continuing dialogue on co-existence among communities in Nigeria;
5. Calls on politicians to deny support to or endorsement of groups that harbour or express disdain for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians;
6. Supports the position of Government on the need to ensure effective enforcement of laws that prohibit hate and divisive speeches that constitute a threat to our constitutional and collective right to live in a democracy founded on free expression.
