Kaduna – The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ICPR) on Monday began a three-day training for 130 religious leaders drawn from 19 states of northern Nigeria on conflict prevention, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The institute’s Director-general, Prof Oshita Oshita , said at the opening of the technical training in Kaduna the training became necessary to discourage people from using religion to cause violence.
Oshita said that religion that had been promoting the dignity of mankind has been hijacked by people of mischief to make life unbearable for everybody.
According to him, it is not the religion that becomes the problem that is crying for solution, but we believe that it can be used to proffer solution to the crises.
“This is because, in most part of the world, religion has been used as an invaluable tool for promoting understanding and reconciliation among diverse people.
“Religion also serves as a platform on which peace building efforts can be leveraged basically because most religions preach and encourage peaceful coexistence.
“Also, in today’s faith-conscious world, we see religion continuously playing a vital role in the mitigation, prevention and resolution of conflicts,’’ Oshita said.
He said that ICPR and its partners were working to create an atmosphere where the benefits of religion could be deployed to enrich faith-based dialogue and inter-religious harmony in Nigeria.
“It is on this note that the institute in partnership with United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) organised such training to bring stakeholders together to see how best to re-strategise, using religion to promote and sustain peace among citizens.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
“The training is designed to enable religious leaders and Nigerians in general to develop the spirit of tolerance in spite of religious affiliations by thinking beyond our faith.
“It will also enable us to imbibe the spirit of understanding our different believes as mutually supportive to one another,’’ Oshita said.
He urged religious leaders to preach love and not hate; acceptance rather than rejection in their messages from the pulpits so as to prevent conflict and entrench peaceful coexistence.
Oshita was represented at the occasion by the institute’s Deputy Director, Research and Programmes, Emmanuel Mamman.
In a remark, Nura Ashafa, the Co-Chairman of Inter-Faith Mediation Centre (IMC), Kaduna, also noted that religious values in the country had been hijacked by few individuals who claimed to represent the silent majority.
He said it was time for the silent majority of Nigerians to rise up and speak out for the needed peace to thrive in the country.
“The drum of war must be put to rest and the drum of peace should over-shadow the drum of war.
“As participants we need to reflect on what we have been using our religion for, where we are coming from and where we are going,’’ Ashafa said.
On his part, the Chief Imam of Ungwan Rimi Central Mosque, Kaduna, Tanimu Musa, said that religion could be used for socio-economic and political development.
He, however, described the used of religion for destructive purposes as unfortunate.
“It is my desire that at the end of the training, we will all see the need to understand our differences, embrace one another and live in peace and harmony,’’ Musa said.
The Secretary, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State Chapter, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, said there was the need for sincerity on the part of the religious leaders to ensure peace.
He tasked the clerics to ensure that they go out and propagate whatever they learnt from the training as “Ambassadors of Peace’’.
A participant, Dr Hannatu Ibrahim, a prominent Northern women leader, said the training was crucial in channelling a way forward for lasting peace for development in the northern part of the country.
She blamed religious leaders for compromising with politicians to use religion to divide and destroy the unity that once bound Nigerians as a people.
She also frowned at any form of discrimination in any part of the country on the ground of religion.
She added that the founding fathers of Northern Nigeria co-existed peacefully without religious discrimination. (NAN)
banker of the day - FREE banker tips from experts