Swiss Organization Tasks Nigerian Communities To Ensure Violence-Free Election
By Moses Gbande
A Swiss based Private Oragization, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, has expressed worries over the high level of apprehension, mistrust and Religious Conflicts that has become the order of the day in Nigeria at any slight provocations.
The Nigeria’s Projects Associate, Olufemi Ellison Nankap told Journalists in Jos that the global community is at lost, as to what lead to the fragile relationship among Nigerians as compared to what was obtained in the early 80s where Communities coexisted without much needed rancour.
According to Mrs. Nankap, it was based on this premise that the Swiss based Private Organization set in motions mechanisms to mediate, and profer possible solutions towards resoling conflicts through dialogue and the mitigations.
She said, Centre For Humaniterian Dialogue, a Swiss based Private Diplomatic Organization found on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence, with a clear vision to prevent, mitigate, and resolve arms conflicts through dialogue mitigations.
According to her, for the past two dacedes it has pursued vigorously the objectives of the organization, particularly in having an interface with communities and Religious Leaders to understand the need to coexist peacefully.
“Almost two decades now, Centre For Humaniterian Dialogue has supported arguements around the world, we are currently involved in over fourty dialogues in Churches and in Mosques.
“We came to Nigeria in 2013, and moved to Jos at the heat of the crises, we worked with Eight deserted communities and in the end of the the process it supported peace agreements.
“We were also invited to work in Southern Kaduna and we worked with 29 Communities, and in the southern plateau we worked with 56 communities. The essence of this is to promote peaceful coexistence with each other, to make people understand what their challenges are, and to profer solutions amicably and chat a way forward for peaceful coexistence”.
She added that, the current project being pursued by the Organization is the engage Traditional and Religious Leaders, Youths Coummunity leaders to tighens nuts for peaceful 2019 elections.
“In Nigeria, election means everything, and as February 2019 elections is along the corner, there is fear of possible violence and attacks, that’s why the Centre For Humaniterian Dialogue considers that it is important to sensitize the people and other stakeholders on the need to chat a way forward for peaceful coexistence instead of looking back to the dark days of violence.
“We have been meeting with Youths, Women, Traditional and Religious Leaders as well as security agencies in both Plateau and southern Kaduna communities to ensure a peaceful elections.
“We have a team on conflict early warning signals trying to follow up with peace monitors on ensuring that lines of communication is clear enough to communicate early warning signs that will help us mitigate early warning signs of conflict or the other.
“The message we have for the people is that we can go through the elections without having any form of conflicts or killings. We must respect the sanctity of human life. No man has any right to take another person’s life.
“As we look forward to the elections, let’s have a mind set that the future of plateau and Nigeria can be changed. In 80s plateau was one of the Most peaceful states compared to modern days, the difference is clear. There is mistrust, we create enemies to ourselves, and Religious difference is very high, vis a vis fear of possible conflict”.
“We however call on Nigerins to bury their differences and go to the polls with one mind and vote in peace, and vote for peace to make Nigeria a better society”.
Nasarawa Reporters 