Date: 2016-08-10

Dividing Nigeria along ethnic, regional and religious lines remains biggest threat to mutual and peaceful co-existence of the country, Kwara State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe, declared in Ilorin yesterday. He explained that some Nigerians hiding under the guise of ethnic nationalities were through actions and inactions promoting what would lead to division and cleavages.

Ajeigbe spoke at a peace summit tagged "Brace Up" organised by a non-governmental organisation, Passion for Peace Initiatives in conjunction with the state Ministry of Information and Communications, National Orientation Agency and Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin. The event, attended by high number of participants, was held at the Banquet Hall, Opposite Government House, Ilorin. The Information Commissioner noted that many Nigerians were taking the nation's peace for granted because there was not yet peace problem in the country. He identified growing unemployment and break down of cultural values as factors constituting threat to mutual peace.

Ajeigbe, who delivered a paper titled "Government: Cornerstone to Peace and Development, stressed the need to stop social vices, reduce religious conflict, inter-ethnic divides and ethnic conflict among other divisive tendencies. The commissioner thanked the state government for the establishment of Directorate of Orientation in the state Ministry of Information, which he said, was aimed at addressing social ills and vices plaguing not only Kwara but Nigeria as a whole.

Also speaking, the state Director of National Orientation Agency, Mr Felix Olowokere, said the event was apt and timely due to social and conflict related issues afflicting the country. Olowokere, who recalled some recent suspected ethnic conflicts, said sustainable growth and development could only occur in the country when Nigerians shun ethnic sentiment, tribalism and religious intolerance. He said, "Our gathering is indeed apt and very important, considering the fact that as a nation, Nigeria is being plagued by a vicious cycle of conflicts among ethnic and religious groups. It therefore becomes necessary to emphasize sustainable peace and tolerance among the different religious, ethnic and cultural groups that make up Kwara State and Nigeria as a whole.

"In Kwara, our experience, especially in the past few weeks have been harrowing and disturbing as I recall the incident of murder that happened in Share where the lives of five promising farmers were terminated. "In some other parts of Kwara, several cases of kidnapping, armed robbery, communal clashes, cultist activities, clash between Fulani/Bororo and farmers are being recorded. These things should not be if indeed we understand the need for tolerance and unity as a people.

"Going by the happenings above, National Orientation Agency, whose mission mandate is capped : Mobilization, Orientation, Education and Sensitization of the citizen on government policies and programmes and Passion for Peace Initiative, a Non-governmental organization that pursues peace in every facet of our national life consider it germane to organize a summit that will have in attendance every critical stakeholder, to discuss and fashion out modalities that will ensure peace reigns in Kwara State and in Nigeria.

"Our organisation believes that sustainable growth and development can only happen in Nigeria when we allow peace and unity, shun ethnicity, tribalism, religious intolerance, terrorism, mediocrity, militancy, ethnic wars, youth restiveness and corruption".

In his remark, the convener of the summit, Mr Jimoh Olalekan George, called on Nigerians to see the next man as part of their life. Identifying idle hand as devil's workshop, George said no development could take place without peace. "You need to see the next man as part of your life, see him as extension of yourself", he said.