By: Mayen Etim
KADUNA, North-West, Nigeria – The Executive Director of Women’s Interfaith Council, (WIC), Reverend Sister Anne Falola has said the gap between the government and the governed is one of the key factors responsible
According to her, the government has a duty to to explain to the people every policy that will affect their lives before such policy is put in place and that is the need for a consultative dialogue between the government and the governed.
She added that most cases the governed who are mostly the followers blindly accept policies that is detrimental to their wellbeing and refused to confront government on such policies; rather decides to go berserk.
“When I came to Kaduna State I discovered that the city is divided on ethno-religious lines where you can easily identify one set of people practicing a particular faith living in a specific locality.
“To the people, this is unhealthy development because it has destroyed the harmonious relationship between the two faiths. But so disappointing is that the people easily accept this as a norm without calling the politicians and religious leaders to order. Telling them this is not how it should be.
“Now these politicians when they want to fuel ethno-religious crisis for their selfish purpose they know the particular group to contact. But if the people have voiced out against such practices the leaders will have no choice but to correct the ugly trend.
“However, we thank the State Government for establishing the Peace Commission because this is an agency that is saddle with building peace and harmonious coexistence in the state.
“But let me advice that the first step is to bridge the gap between the government and the governed if the commission is to succeed,” she said.
Other participants identified drug addiction as one of the factors that militates against peaceful coexistence in the state. They therefore called on the State Government to churned out proactive measures to check the menace. They also called for a sustained consultation and engagement with CSOs.
In her remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of Kaduna State Peace Commission, Mrs. Priscilla Ankut said the state is serious about institutionalizing peace in the state, and all hands must be on deck to achieve this noble objective.
She added that the CSOs as grassroot mobilizers and have a role to play in sustaining peace in the state because they are key drivers in peaceful coexistence.
“We have noted all your suggestions and advice, and as a Commission in our advisory duty to the government we will present everything to them. We equally call on CSOs to regard this relationship as a move to restore permanent peace to the state,” she said.