A Clarion Call for Peace in Nigeria

Today’s Nigeria is bedeviled with myriad of problems. The country had been described variously by people who are grossly disenchanted with happenings in the country as a slowcoach personified, a giant snail on a time-bound race, a cocoon of absurdities defined by poverty, violence, kidnapping, corruption, killing etc. while some used kind words to describe her as the most populous black nation on earth with a land flowing with milk and honey yet in the hollow of poverty, corruption and mismanagement, a country that has numerous capacities to develop but has blatantly refused to do so.

Apart from certain painful features of the democratic experience which make the citizenry wonder, if at all, the clamor for democracy was worth it, the emergence of a rapacious political cohort who suddenly transformed into an opulent class while widening the economic gap between it and the people it claims to represent, did not help matters.

The continued infrastructural decay is gradually making the country hell-on earth. Roads, schools, hospitals, water, electricity are becoming luxuries, available only to the rich and the influential while the country is in relative darkness even while the electricity workers were not on strike.

The country’s experience in the past few years has been unsavory and strange. Chief among it is the lack of security. Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti(ABUAD) as a good corporate citizen in conjunction with Conflict Awareness Prevention Initiatives(CAPI) were determined to find the root cause and profer solutions to the wide scale insecurity problems threatening to bring the country to her knees, hence a 3day International Workshop on “Nigeria and Security: Conflict Management Perspectives. It was organized with participants drawn from corporate bodies, military and paramilitary organizations, government agencies and the general public. Many Resource Persons came from Nigeria and Overseas to examine:

1. Strategies and tactics of Conflict Management, Peace and Confidence building in Nigeria,
2. Social Impact of conflicts within and between Military/Paramilitary organizations.
3. Civil-Military Relations in an era of turbulence
4. Contemporary approaches to Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution in the Context of Social and Political turbulence
5. Problems of Conflict Resolution in Plural Societies and Complex Organizations
6. The role of RSM and the Military Police in Conflict Management and Resolution
7. Promoting National Unity, Good governance and development through Constructive interventions.

 

Welcoming guests to ABUAD, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sidi Osho, commended the Founder, Aare Afe Babalola for his untiring efforts in proffering Peace for the Nation through the convocation of many workshops aimed at stabilizing the nation. She gave kudos to the organizers and urged them not to relent efforts in achieving their goals. The Vice Chancellor highlighted it as breeding unity among various sections of government and for the promotion of peace while managing conflicts. She called for more workshops to tackle social vices and political instability.

In his opening remark, the chairman of Conflict Awareness and Prevention Initiative (CAPI) Professor John Tunde Bewaji from the West Indies University, Jamaica was full of praises for ABUAD for partnering with his initiative. He called on all Nigerians to love one another stressing that a nation devoid of hatred and discrimination will be peaceful, progressive and secured.

Professor Bewaji urged the Nigerian government to devote more resources to the provision of basic needs of the citizenry as a way of preventing crises that may arise due to infrastructural decay, unemployment, favoritism etc.

The guest Lecturer, Prof. O.B.C Nwolise who is the Head of Department of Political  Science, University of Ibadan, in his keynote address described security as the primary and ultimate value for all peoples, climes and lands for all times. He appreciated the Nigerian Army for displaying high degree of professionalism in the discharge of their duties particularly in the maintenance of security, enhancing our independence, fostering cultural freedoms and ensuring self-determination.

On Internal Security which he said was fundamental for citizens to pursue their daily bread in peace and safety thereby contribute their quota to national growth and development hence encourage foreign and domestic investors, Prof. Nwolise called on all Citizens to co-operate with the Police, as the force alone cannot cope with its numerous challenges.

The Don urged the Federal Government to embrace Security as her major priority. He berated the killing of innocent citizens and wanton destruction of properties due to needless religious and social conflicts. According to him, poverty, value disorder, unemployment, corruption, hunger, poor leadership and injustice in the land have placed many people on the edge. Every little misunderstanding between persons and groups easily transform into violence, thus, there are fires all over the land which have become devastating threats to peace of the nation.

Prof. Nwolise berated the non-committal nature of some world leaders to peace and security adding that wholesome developmental ideas have been desecrated and decimated by conflicts, waged by man. He decried the situation where human lives have become cheaper than pure water, where hundreds of innocent people’s lives are wasted on daily basis through police brutality, military’s internal security operations, upsurge in child/soldier’s activities, al-majiris, armed robbery, assassinations, kidnapping and jungle justice. The lack of peace had sent several investors back home, discouraged several domestic investors, dented the image of the nation in the comity of States and prevented people from sleeping well at night as life has become brutish, nasty and short.

The Keynote Speaker in his submission, urged scholars, leaders, opinion moulders and servants of the people not to be onlookers when our society is in turbulence. While predicting that Nigeria will survive against all odds and fulfill her destiny for humanity, Prof. Nwolise urged Universities to spearhead the actualization of this destined role, by constantly engaging on topical issues and sending results to the government.

On ABUAD, the Keynote Speaker was full of praises for it. He said though young in age, ABUAD is mighty in action. Her capability to brainstorm and analyze topical National issues as well as to teach, learn and build capacities for quality service delivery is second to none. Prof.  Nwolise commended the Founder, Aare Afe Babalola for his love for education and humanity by establishing ABUAD and for supporting the University’s Consultancy Unit and CAPI in the organization of this very strategic conference. He suggested the urgent establishment of a new Institute of Strategic Studies in ABUAD, whose curriculum will cover among others intelligence, conflict, peace support operations and security.

Prof. Nwolise appreciated the efforts of the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration so far in security and conflict management, especially after noting its challenges.

He charged the organizers to make visible recommendations for the enhancement of national security, the resolution of existing conflicts in Nigeria and the prevention of further violent conflicts in the country in order to enthrone and maintain peace and security that are seriously needed for rapid development and provision of the good life for the long suffering people of Nigeria.

Contributing, the Founder and President Emeritus of ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola commended the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Tunde Bewaji for identifying with his motherland and wished him journey mercies back to his base in Jamaica. He described the Special Guest of Honor, the Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Adelola as “A one man riot winner”. Aare urged him to do more for his people to justify the confidence reposed in him by the electorates.

The Founder while reacting to the inspiring speech of the Keynote Speaker, Prof. Nwolise, thanked him for the commendation he gave to him and his University. Aare promised to support any worthwhile programme that will turn Nigeria into a peaceful entity and a paradise on earth.

To the organizers of the International workshop, Aare Afe Babalola advised them to ensure that the progressive ideas generated at the workshop do not end up in the shelves, gathering dust. Rather, they should be deployed to the relevant authorities where they will influence policies and positive actions.

Giving the vote of thanks, the Director of ABUAD Consult, Dr. Samuel Igbatayo thanked all those present at the workshop, eager to learn and contribute their quotas to the peace and security of the Nigerian nation. He promised to make all resolutions available to relevant agencies.

Brigadier-General M.D Yusuf of the Department of Research and Development, Defence Headquarters, Abuja was among the Resource Persons who presented papers at the workshop.

The modality of operations for the 3day workshop included plenary sessions which featured paper presentations and discussions, break-up into syndicate sessions to tackle practical security and conflict problems and presentation of syndicate reports.

To enhance Nigeria’s national security, peace, pride and restore the confidence of the people in the government, the three day conference came up with twenty-one point communiqué as follows:

1. That the Federal government should assert its authority above religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria, and ensure that the indigene/settler divide in the constitution is removed.
2. That the Federal government should generate jobs as a matter of priority to dry up the pool of millions of angry, idle and hungry youths in the country, as a strategic step in national security restoration.
3. That the tenets of true federalism be introduced in the next Nigerian constitution now in the making.
4. That the Petroleum Industry Law be quickly passed to solve the residual problems in the post amnesty Niger-Delta.
5. That civics and peace education be introduced in schools to inculcate patriotism and the culture of peaceful methods of managing conflict in Nigeria. In this, a curriculum on Security and moral education based on the fear of God and Spiritual development be incorporated.
6. That Nigerians should tolerate and accept one another as members of one nation, as the most critical step in national integration, unity and nation building.
7. That Nigerian politicians should stop using religion and ethnicity to divide the citizenry; rather work for national unity, peace and stability.
8. That the Federal government show determined efforts to fight corruption in the country.
9. That Nigerians should stop worshipping corrupt people and support the anti-corruption institutions to combat corruption. Money should also be dethroned from the Olympic height it occupies today, in favour of honesty, hard work and good name.
10. That the Boko-Haram insurgence, Niger-Delta militants, criminals and belligerents in Plateau State cease fire and grant Nigerians peace. In pursuit of this, the government should apply more dialogue in conflict management than application of force.
11. The Nigerian government should fish out and seize the millions of small arms and weapons in the country already and stop the continuous inflow of these arms through our national borders.
12. That the government enforces the laws of the land efficiently.
13. That the Nigeria Police Force be re-labeled Nigeria Police Service and made Agent of the Law rather than agent of powerful people.
14. That all Governments in Nigeria especially the Federal Government should demonstrate good governance, and provide the people with the basic needs of life- water, light, health care, food and functional education for the youths.
15. That government be responsive to early warning signals in conflict prevention, be more responsive to the demands and needs of the people, and more accountable to Nigerians as the (ultimate) owners of the political sovereignty of Nigeria.
16. That our defence and military forces should be more professional in their internal security operations. In particular, more emphasis should be laid on the operation and effective use of intelligence.
17. That the Federal government should without further delay convene a National Conference to enable Nigerians talk instead of fighting over the basis of the Nigerian project.
18. That the concept and practice of civil-military relations be made more comprehensive and thus expanded beyond the narrow confines of patriotism and civil control.
19. That a National Security Centre with a National Data base on Security matters, terrorists and criminals be established to enhance inter-agency co-operation and collaboration in Nigeria.
20. That there should be an end to impunity in the country and the immunity clause in the constitution amended to ensure that criminality is not protected by the law.
21. That the Nigerian government should pursue the National Identity Card project vigorously so that Nigerians can be identified differently from non-Nigerians; and effective steps taken to secure our borders against all forms of trans-national crime especially illegal immigration and trafficking in arms, persons, and hard drugs.