From: Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Christians and Muslims, in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, have staged a cultural event as a mark of the peaceful coexistence among adherents of the two faiths.
The colourful cultural display was organised by Next Generation Youth Initiative (NeGYII) in partnership with CLEEN Consortium at the MacCarthy Stadium, in the state capital. It featured Islamic cultural displays, gospel music renditions, traditional Idoma, Tiv, Hausa and Jukun dances, among others.
President of NeGYII, Mr. Ambassador Onoja, said the event was organised to exploit and harness Benue’s cultural diversity to help build a resilient community in Makurdi and Benue State, in general.
“We do this also in celebrating the lasting peaceful co-existence, tolerance and mutual understanding between the two major Faiths (Christianity/Islam) and different ethnic groups in Benue State.”
Onoja explained that the objective of the event was to promote religious and cultural harmony among the different religious faiths, cultures and ethnic groups in the state so as to remove mutual suspicions and distrust for a common sense of neighbourliness to prevail.
“Culture is the very pillar of all human activities and these activities derive their meaning and value from culture. This is why the recognition of cultural diversity can help to ensure that ownership of development and peace initiatives is vested in the populations concerned.”
The NeGYII president who observed that peace was essentially borne from culture stated that it was for that reason that it had become necessary to import the idea into the driving peace process which the organisation wants to achieve as its own way of mitigating against violence in the society.