Insecurity: Muslim, Christian leaders seek collective approach

Muslim, Christian and other societal leaders have urged Nigerians not to see the rising spate of insecurity in parts of the country as the business of the affected areas but as a collective crisis that must be acted upon.

They made the call on Wednesday in Abuja at the formal launch of a documentary research on armed conflicts in Odi, Bayelsa State; Zakin Biam, Benue State; Dogo Nahawa, Plateau State; and Kizara Zamfara State titled: “Memory and Trauma” organised by The Kukah Centre (TKC).

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The launch was part of efforts at seeking psycho-social support for the growing number of victims Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and other forms of insecurity in the country.

Speaking at the event, the Chief Imam of Apo Legislative Quarters, Sheik Muhammad Nura Khalid, said that the insecurity in the country must be holistically examined so that the root causes of the problem can be tackle and lasting peace achieved in the country.

On his part, the founder of The Kukah Centre Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah, noted that when it comes to the issue of responsibilities, the Federal, state and local governments would like to tell us they cannot do it all alone, that they need collaboration; but when it come to the distribution of resources for the welfare and wellbeing of the people, government believes that it can do it alone.

“They feel they have the supreme duty and responsibility of deciding on how the resources are shared. It is evidence to us that mending the bottlenecks in our society is collective responsibility to salvage the country,” Kukah said.

Also, the Executive Director of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Rev. Fr. George Ehusani; the Lead Director, Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), Eze Onyekpere; the Chairman, Abuja branch, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Hauwa Shekarau, were unanimous in saying that the present state of the nation be proactively acted upon.

“We have failed to learn from the past. The lack of social justice fuels the crises. The political elites have lost their sense of responsibility to the citizens. We have lost our national sense of guilt. We just move on as usual whenever tragedy happens,” Ehusani said.

Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of TKC, Fr. Attah Barkindo, said that for the country to heal, a national strategy on psycho-social support must be developed to treat the memory and trauma of victims across the country.

“The Kukah Centre calls for a comprehensive national strategy for psycho-social interventions as part of a greater national response to violence and conflict in Nigeria,” Barkindo said.