“Violence Never Leads to peace” Pope Francis
I reproduce this press statement which I wrote on August 6th 2012 , for the then Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa in reaction to the series of crisis that had engulfed Kaduna State. Unfortunately nothing has substantially changed since 2012 when this statement was first issued,that this statement could jolly well would have been written for the incumbent governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in reaction to the recent crisis that has forced the governor to impose a 24 hour curfew on some parts of the state. The issues have remained largely the same,just as the flash points haven’t changed. It’s a big shame that disagreements amongst two people,will take religious and ethnic dimensions that within seconds the whole city will be on fire. The question now as then is : for how long will the military and security agencies secure us apart? When are we going to learn to resolve issues amicably?
FOR HOW LONG WILL THE MILITARY AND OTHER SECURITY AGENCIES SECURE US APART? A PRESS STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR PATRICK IBRAHIM YAKOWA OF KADUNA STATE ON THE WAY FORWARD AFTER THE RECENT CRISIS THE STATE WITNESSED.
Last week, after a review of the security situation by the State Security Council, i ordered that the curfew imposed on the state, especially Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Chikun local governments be relaxed to start from 5am and to end at 10pm. The implication is that residents of Kaduna state, especially in the above local governments , that ironically are the bedrock of our economy are losing more than seven (7) man hours and this has serious implications for all of us,especially for the individuals, that must work everyday to eke a living and for the government that derives its revenue from taxes,this is a crisis of a monumental proportion.
Through the policies we have put in place, our dear state was beginning to realise between N900 million to N1 billion monthly from internally generated revenue. The figures from the revenue board for the months of June and July have not been encouraging, because of the crisis. This should be expected, as the state has been virtually shut down. The implication is that the capacity of government to deliver on its electoral promises has no doubt been adversely affected.
Since i took over as governor of the state on 20th May, 2010, I strove to govern fairly and justly, as a way of ensuring that issues of marginalisation etc., that will generate crisis and further dent the image of our state is a thing of the past. This i will continue to do. I will like to stress,that i didn’t need the oath of office to do good to all manner of people. I owe it to God Almighty who has been very generous and kind to me, and who will judge me, to be the governor of all,to be just and fair to all.
Yes, the crises of the 2011 general elections and the senseless retaliatory attacks and the counter attacks are regional, national and to some extent international in character, but they have stigmatized our state as a violent place, where people have no regard for human life. A State where at the slightest provocation people will resort to violence. It is a poor commentary on all of us indigenes and non-indigenes alike living in Kaduna State.
For many people, their expectation is that the government has the responsibility to protect their lives and property. Yes, this is the essence of government. And the Kaduna state government has never shied away from this responsibility. But government alone can never, will never be able to perform this duty without the citizens themselves playing their role,by respecting the law, never taking the laws into their hands, providing law enforcement agencies with credible information , and treating each other with the respect they deserve. And lastly that we respect each others faith.
The Almighty God , who the two great religions acknowledge as the creator of man, can never be wrong to have made us Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc.. Being part of creation like the trees,the birds of the air,the seas etc., it behoves us to have respect for life. Life is sacred.
In the Quran ,the word peace, is repeated 76 times. The very word Islam (from the Arabic islim), connotes peace. Peace in Islam, is the rule, while war is the exception. The bible also enjoins us to embrace peace. Romans 12.17 states “repay no one evil for evil,but give thought to do what is honourable in the sight of all”. And Luke 6.27 says, but i say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. Like St.Francis of Assisi, Christians must ask God to make them an instrument of his peace.
The great Dr. Martin Luther king jr. Said returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Like the late President J. F. Kennedy said, mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. Since 1987, Muslims and Christians have been killing each other and to the best of my knowledge no group has come out tops. The scare that we are all losers is written all over us , in the lack of trust, in living separately – in apartheid like “separateness”- an obnoxious policy that we Nigerians spent billions of dollars to fight. What is left if we don’t pull back from this senseless madness is a separate state secretariat, hospital, roads, markets etc., for Muslims and Christians. God forbid we don’t get to that level.
It won’t only if we work for peace. We must engage in the peace process in our neighbourhoods, homes and in our hearts. But we can never shake hands, when they are clenched, or cling to the past. We must contribute something of ourselves towards making Kaduna state and indeed Nigeria a much better place to live in.
The journey must start from deep in our psyche, to respect each other and by forgiving one another. In this regard i challenge our elites to be in the forefront of active peace building and maintenance. In so doing, we would have killed the genie of mindless bloodshed and destruction. We must stand up to be counted. This is the panacea for peace, and not the deployment of the military and other security agencies.
Kaduna state shall over come!
Postscript: The Kaduna State Government and most especially the Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai deserve “tremendous commendation” for the proactive and decisive manner it handled the crisis. But for the prompt decision of Nasir El-Rufai the entire state would have been engulfed in a crisis that would have no doubt engulfed the entire country considering how unsettled the country is. This is not the first time that El-Rufai has so decisively acted and in the process saved Nigeria from civil strife. When some misguided youths under the auspices of Arewa Youths issued Ibos living in the north quit notice,it was El- Rufai who understood the implications of the order that swiftly moved to diffuse the tension, long before the federal government figured out its reaction to the threat that had serious implications for the continued unity of Nigeria.
Moving forward religious leaders must work together to save us from assured mutual self destruction . Pope Francis at the Conference “Dharma and Logos-Dialogue and Cooperation in a Complex Age” in Rome said “Dialogue and cooperation are essential at a time like our own, when complex and unprecedented factors have led to increased tensions and conflicts, accompanied by violence on both a small and a large scale. It is a cause for thanksgiving to God when religious leaders actively foster a culture of encounter by offering an example of fruitful dialogue and by working together effectively in the service of life, human dignity and the care of creation”.
The Governor must hold traditional rulers and communities responsible for various acts perpetuated by their people. It is great to know that Kaduna State Government intends to encourage this by vigorously enforcing the various provisions of the Riots Damage Law of 1958, the Collective Punishment Law of 1915 and the Peace Preservation Law of 1917. These laws impose costs on communities that permit violence in their midst, obliging community members to be charged and levied monies for the cost of repairing damage done during episodes of violence. This might be another way to go.
