Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has lamented that identity-based conflicts have been casting a dark shadow on Nigeria for a long time.
He said Nigeria’s diversity is not a call for division but a strength and unity for its people in their journey towards a strong nationhood.
According to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, on Monday, Kalu made the assertion in a keynote address at the commencement of a 2-Day National Engagement on Addressing Identity-Based Conflict with the theme “Mapping Actors to Reduce Identity Conflict”.
The engagement was jointly organized by the International Republican Institutions (IRI) and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) at the National Assembly Library, Abuja.
Kalu was quoted as saying although the country is made up of different ethnic groups and religions, the main goal is common national objective.
He said, “For too long, the dark flames of identity-based conflict have cast a shadow over our nation, particularly in the North Central, North West, and South East geopolitical zones. We have witnessed the tragic consequences of ethnic tensions, religious divides, and competition for resources.
“But today, a flicker of hope ignites – the hope that by mapping the actors who fuel these conflicts, we can finally extinguish the flames and forge a path toward a more peaceful, unified Nigeria.
“Let me join others who spoke earlier today to say that our diversity is not is a call to division. It is a beautiful colouration that this nation has been blessed with. We should leverage the varieties that come from the different perspectives with which we view things to bring to the bricks and the walls of nation building.
“It’s for us to join hands, not leaving one other hand because the colour is brown or black or because the tongue speaks Yoruba, Hausa or Igbo. Yoruba is Nigeria. Igbo is Nigeria. Hausa is Nigeria. Efik is Nigeria. My brother in the North is still my brother though I am from the South East. And my brother in the South West is still my brother. And you should be able to say the same that though we are designed differently with different embroideries on our garment, the garment that we all wear is called Nigeria.”
The Deputy Speaker also called for the proper identification of the issues which included farmers/herders clashes in the North Central; banditry and civilian security arrangements in North West and the violent agitations in the South East and their possible causes, emphasizing that it will help in proffering lasting solutions to the problems.
He added, “It is common logic at this crucial juncture of Nigeria’s evolution to say that a problem well stated is a problem half solved – and this is why we are all gathered here today toward charting a course to national cohesion by deliberating about how mapping actors can quell the fires of identity-based conflict in this great country of ours. As we know, the first step is to state the problem well and we have all that we need today to do just that.”
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
