…As religious leaders harp on tolerance, unity, peaceful co-existence
From: WOLE BALOGUN, Ado-Ekiti
The National Orientation Agency, Ekiti State chapter, has urged non-indigenes residing in the state to respect the culture of their host communities, saying this would further promote peaceful co-existence and reduce hate speeches. This was just as religious leaders and heads of security operatives in the state urged all ethnic groups to promote values of unity, peace and tolerance among one another.
Also, the President General of the Ohaneze Ndigbo, South West, Nathaniel Uzoemeka, said there would not be peace and unity in the country because government has failed to treat all ethnic groups equally. He cited government’s insincerity and unequal distribution of government portfolios among the six-geo-political zones as part of the challenges breeding disunity.
Ekiti State Coordinator of NOA, Dayo Famosaya, gave the charge on behalf of President Mohammadu Buhari, while addressing many ethnic nationalities of Urobo, Igbo, Hausa, Egbira, Yoruba, religious leaders and security operatives among others during a day programme tagged: “‘Building: A People of Peace”, organised by NOA,on Wednesday, inside the palace of the Ewi of Ado, Oba Rufus Aladesanmi Adejugbe, in Ado-Ekiti.
According to the NOA official,: The need to propagate message of peace and unity made NOA to bring together ethnic nationalities in Ekiti. Whatever happens in Ado-Ekiti as a state capital will affect other cities.
“The Kabiyesi, Ewi of Ado, Oba Rufus Aladesanmi, has laboured so much to ensure peace in Ekiti by having meetings with several ethnic groups, security operatives. This is why in Ekiti today, you would hardly distinguish between ethnic nationalities as they have inter-married and even those not of Ekiti origin can speak Ekiti fluently.
“‘The peace in this state has ensured that all the ethnic groups cultivate on same land for agriculture purpose. We must not forget that there is strength in unity. The more we are in population the better, what has helped us so much as a nation is our population. We must always learn to resolve our differences through peaceful dialogue. We should also learn to be courteous with one another and ensure that there is peace no matter the case. Let us live peacefully with one another, no hate speech. Any community we live in, let us respect their tradition and culture of that community and see it as our home.”
The Igbo leader, in his comment, We all know that peace is very paramount and everyone desires it. But before we can talk about ensuring peace, we must first take cognisance of some challenges that metamorphosed into agitations.
I tell yousomeof these challenges, first our leaders are not sincere, and this has led into dislussionment among the citizenry. For example of the 36 states in the country, the north alone has 19 states taking over two-third of the entire country\’s resources. The south has. Only 17. Why can\’t we balance up by making the south have 19 states also.
“Lagos has a very large population and generate bigger resources,but not as many local government areas as Kano, which. Has far more local government areas.
“Why should the Southeast have only five states, why not six? Why. Should southwest have only 5? Why not increase it to six?
Whenever we in the southeast complains that we are marginalised, the FG would tell us to channel our grievances through the national Assembly where we don’t have the majority and majority over there carries the day.
” On Federal character,the way and manner appointment are given by the federal government is one sided. For instance on the appointment of service chiefs. We have all the six of them concentrated in one geo-political zones of the country. Meanwhile,it. Is supposed to have be shared among the six zones.
“I also want to advise that inorder to ensure that our political leaders at the federal and state levels perform, they should cease being member of their political parties once they have won an election. This would make them work for all as a neutral person.”
Commissioner of police in the state, Abdullahi Ibrahim Chafe, said that Ekiti is one the most peaceful states in the country, owing to the efforts of traditional rulers and other socio-cultural groups co-operating with the security operatives.
“Traditional rulers should help to shun disunity among various ethnic groups living in their domains, as continued unity and peace of the country rests on traditional rulers, religious leaders and business entrepreneurs.
The Ewi of Ado, also preached unity and peace among the ethnic groups, and charged government to provide employment for youth and good governance so that unity and peace will be promoted.