A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Search for Common Ground (SFCG), has organised a one day stakeholders meeting to promote religious tolerance among Nigerians living in the North East region.
The, event held in Bauchi, has participants from Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and Gombe states and was aimed at finding ways of ensuring peaceful existence among adherents of various religions.
Speaking at the event, the NGO’s Senior Programme Coordinator, Fatima Madaki, said that the it organised the meeting to encourage the establishment of state based peace building efforts and dialogue initiatives.
She added that, the organisation wanted the entrenchment of religious tolerance among Muslims, Christians as well as adherents of other faiths in order to ensure lasting peace.
Mrs Madaki said there was a need for all stakeholders to cooperate and establish community based mechanisms to help in dousing tensions and ensuring respect to individuals and groups despite religious and cultural differences.
The Senior Programme Coordinator said people of the North East region needed to come together and tackle the fragmentation of their society as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges.
Also speaking, a former Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), North East Zone, Reverend Shu’aibu M. Biyel said that, the stakeholders meeting was apt as there was a need for a concerted effort to address the challenges brought about by intolerance among adherents of various faiths.
He commended the NGO for convening the meeting saying that its efforts would complement other efforts being put in place to restore and ensure lasting peace not only in the North East but Nigeria in general.
The representative of Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Habiba Sa’ad, said the meeting was useful as women always bear the brunt of conflicts and other security challenges in the country.
She said that, their organisation has always been in the forefront of promoting peaceful co-existence among Muslims, Christians and adherents of other religions.
Alhassan Lawal, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) representative at the meeting, Alhassan Lawal said that, the coming together of various faith-based groups and other stakeholders would pave the way for further strengthening of relationships and mutual respect among people of different religions.
