GUAPA Humanitarian Development initiative (GHDI) in collaboration with the Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for peace (COFP) have organized a pioneer grassroots community peace and security seminar for the Askira/Uba community. The program took place on 18th February 2022 in GSSS Uba, Askira/Uba local government, Borno state of Nigeria.
The organizer and chairman of GUAPA Humanitarian Development initiative (GHDI),
Brigadier General David Buba Shajaba (retd) in his welcome address, stated that, the cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for peace, is primarily non governmental organization. A non governmental organization that is committed to building the process of peace and social change in the entire country Nigeria and Africa.
He said, “you will all agree with me that, Askira/Uba local government, the entire territory for some time has suffered a lot, so many of our people disorganized, destabilized and disoriented,a lot were killed, many have left homes and gone to IDP camps even as far as to Abuja. But thank God today we are here alive and we are organizing this peace forum, with the theme: promoting safe space for for security and intercultural activities In Askira/ Uba community”.
He continued by saying, security is very important, because the way our people have been destabilized from their various communities, you will all agree with me that we have forgotten about cultures to some extent. If I can remember, some few ones that we call ladir which is popular in Marghi land, we have not been doing it again, it is not our fault, is the crisis that has caused it. So we felt that as peace is coming in gradually, let us talk to ourselves, let us discuss and see how we can revive some of these cultures. A society we without culture cannot stay and function as one, because I could remember, some of our culture requires that you dance with a lady by your left or in your front to show how close you can work. Some will show how strong they are by using all types of weapons, they display all types of weapons during cultural activities. So we want to bring that back.
“Then interfaith cooperation, here I’m happy to mention that we In Askira/Uba, we have not witnessed some of the things that are witnessing outside regarding to interfaith because, we have discovered that we are all brothers; we are all together, you go to their family you will find a Christian, You fine a Muslim, we don’t have problem. But they said in Hausa, if your neighbor’s bear bear is catching fire, you will quickly put water on your bear bear so that the fire that is burning there will not reach us. So basically, that is why we are seated here today to look into”.
The seminar featured three topics, namely: dynamics of intercultural activities in promoting community cohesion to encourage peaceful coexistence; the second one is, promoting interfaith cooperation, the role of the religious leaders In Askira/Uba local government. Third, insecurity and social vices In Askira/Uba local government, imperative for promoting security awareness to inhence socioeconomic development.
During the lectures, Dr. Yohanna S. Mamza, spokes on behalf of the cardinal Onaiyenkan foundation for peace (COFP)
The speaker on intercultural activities, stated that, the foundation is a big with the purpose of bringing peace in Nigeria and Africa at large. . He then went further by presenting his paper on the dynamics of intercultural activities in promoting community cohesion to encourage peaceful coexistence. He asked, how can we make use of culture in promoting peaceful coexistence? He said we have a lots of cultures including Marghi, Chibok, kilns, Hausa, Igbo, Fulani. Dr Mamza said, peace building is the most needed investment in 21st century globally.The world is sinking due to the activities of insurgency, ethnic, religion crisis and other conflicts associated to political tension.
A ecture on security was also presented by captain Adamu Buba Uba (retd) who said security is a state of being free from danger or threats. Or quality of a state of being safe and secured such as freedom from danger, freedom from fear or anxiety. He therefore urged the community leaders to initiate regular town hall meetings at the various levels the respective community units.
The special guest of honor, professor Adamu Umar Dzivama (Wazirin Uba) expressed delight for the program. He said he was happy attend the seminar.He said the way the participants showed passion and commitment by listening attentively, and the way they contributed so much , made him to believe that they have accepted the program and he thanked the General for organizing it.
Those that attended the seminar, were, the representatives of the two emirs of Askira and that of Uba, District heads, the local government chairman, the local government stakeholders, religious leaders, traditional rulers, Igbo community leaders, local security outfits (vigilante, Bangers, hunters association), civil defense corps, police, and the army. Also in attendance, were school teachers, students, the youth, business men and women
