By Innocent Odoh. The Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Professor Oshita O. Oshita has condemned in strong terms, the alleged killings of some persons at Talata-Mafara Community in Zamfara and Unguwan Anjo in Kaduna State.
A statement issued on Thursday by the media assistant to the Director General, Michael Abu quoted him as saying that the killings were sheer acts of impunity and convoluted reasoning unjustifiable by Islam and Christianity as religions of peace. He enjoined both the Muslim Ummah and Christian Faithful to condemn extremism in all its forms and support the efforts of the federal government to build peace, love and tolerance.
Professor Oshita expressed regrets over the inciting activities of religious extremists which have led to the unwarranted death of innocent Nigerians. ”The common enemy of all Nigerians is poverty and unemployment and only a united population can allow for the reconstruction of our economy, create wealth and jobs for our youth,” he said in the statement.
He appealed to all Nigerians to give unflinching support to the Federal Government in its efforts to rid the country of ethno-religious conflicts, radicalization and all manners of adverse sentiments threatening the peaceful coexistence and the unity of the country.
According to Oshita, “God Almighty whom we all worship created us first as human persons and as such human life remains sacred and must be kept as God’s free gift to all irrespective of religions, race or ethnicity. Our shared humanity must be protected by all creatures of God.”
Oshita observed that the Federal Government is genuinely committed towards Nigeria’s stability and national reconstruction for durable socioeconomic activities for better living conditions of the people; this according to him could only suffice when peace reigns.
Professor Oshita called on parents, traditional and spiritual leaders to unequivocally condemn such acts and encourage their followers and subjects to accord the security agencies the cooperation needed to apprehend and deal with perpetrators of these unfortunate acts of impunity.
Meanwhile, the Director General has thanked the Nigerian people for their unflinching support to the IPCR in the course of the ongoing field work to update the Strategic Conflict Assessment of Nigeria. It is hoped that the Report, expected in a few months, will provide a roadmap for finding lasting solutions to the recurring violent conflicts in parts of the country.
