COMMUNIQUE issued at the end of a One Day Summit of Ethnic, faith-based youth leaders, civil society groups and youth led critical informal groups held in Lagos on Monday, August 24 at M Square Hotel, GRA Ikeja, hosted by Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER) with specific focus on signposts of conflict and threats to livelihood across Nigeria and the role of youth and women-led groups in conflict prevention and peace building.
On Monday, August 24, 2020, a meeting of 65 groups from across the country was hosted by the Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER), led by Adewale Adeoye with other facilitators including but not limited to Coalition of Northern Groups, (CNC), Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shetima, Auwal Rafsanjani, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, Comrade Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Nigerian Human Rights Community, (NHRC) led by Taiwo Adeleye, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, CDHR, Peace and Development Project, (PEDEP) led by Francis Abayomi, Agbekoya, led by Chief Thompson Oshodi, Yoruba Youth Worldwide led by Barrister Dotun Hassan, President, Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC), Comrade Timothy Igbifa, President, Itsekiri National Youth Council, (INYC) Weyinmi Agbateyinwo, former Vice President, Nigerian Labour Congress, (NLC), Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC) leader, Alhaji Taofik Adeyemi, Christian-Muslim Youth Dialogue, led by Ahmed Sanusi and Samuel Adekunle, Kanuri Youths Coalition, (KYC), Comrade Isa Tijani and Spokesperson, Coalition of Northern Groups, Àbdul-Azeez Suleiman.
Participants
Representatives also came from several groups like NASFAT, Justice Peace and Development Commission, (JDPC), National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), Areas Citizens Action for Change, (ACA), Miyetti Allah, Northern Emancipation Network, (NEN), Labour movement, women led groups, students and farmers associations from across the country.
Introduction and Deliberations
The meeting began with an address by the Executive Director, Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER) Mr Adewale Adeoye detailing the various types of conflict in the country and elaborating the work the organization has done with the support of international partners, the Ford Foundation, (West Africa Region) and the Institute for International Education, (IIE) across the country. JODER gave a state by state account and the nature and form of conflict in the country. Adeoye said he was particularly delighted that the leaders of the CNG who once gave quite notices to some ethnic groups to leave the Northern parts of the country were at the meeting and sitting side by side with those thought to be their arch foes.
The opening speech was made by the Chairman, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, (AYCF), Alhaji Shetimma Yerima who expressed worry about the growing ethnic and religious division in the country and the need for a people-driven intervention.
The spokesperson, Coalition of Northern Groups, (CNY) Abdullahi Azeez Suleiman said lack of communication between the various interests could create unnecessary conditions for conflict. The IYC and the Ohanaeze Youth Council, said meeting with leaders of ethnic groups from across the country and sharing their fears and aspirations reinforces the prospect of peace and conflict prevention in Nigeria. The labour leaders said poor economic conditions and increasing rate of poverty account for unemployment which induces crime and violence. The women leaders said women, the aged and children are direct victims of conflict and that the number of people being killed in needless conflict across the country is worrisome. Other delegates spoke at the conference with all affirming the imperative of peace and conflict prevention. All agreed that peace is possible if the people on their own realize the need that deaths and wanton destruction of lives and property are threats to individuals and the wellbeing of the society at large.
There were questions and answers and a session devoted to working out strategy to achieve peace and tame violence across the country.
Observations
Worried by the general state of insecurity and incessant killings leaving several communities at the mercy of a murderous insurgency, marauding killers, bandits and kidnappers escalating at unacceptable proportions gravely endangering the peace, unity and development of the country;
Concerned by less impressive mismanagement of the national economy already approaching a second recession and characterized by a disabling level of accrued and accruing debt profile;
Disturbed that despite the claims of fighting a war against corruption, the scourge remains till date as acknowledged corruption perception monitor, the Transparency Intentional;
Troubled by violence and terrorism in the North West and the North West, the associated killings and the threats extremism poses to livelihood, civilisations and democratic culture in Nigeria and West Africa.
Delegates express deep concern about the growing division among the various ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria and the associated real and imagined conflict amidst increasing rate of poverty occasioned by political and economic exclusion.
Aware that COVID-19 has further created the conditions for poverty and impoverishment of the people especially youths which make them vulnerable to vices including being recruited as agents of violence and promoters of conflict;
Knowing that that the various government institutions have made some steps towards bringing an end to these disturbing trends but that there remain many gaps yet unfilled;
Knowing that the people on their own can orgainse themselves to intervene in these chains of conflict to complement local and international efforts to bring our people to dialogue and renegotiate among themselves for the sake of peace and the well being of our cities and communities
We representatives of various ethnic, religious and socio-cultural groups from the six-geo political zones in the country come together this day with the following goals:
i. To facilitate the forging of a robust national platform for articulating a common voice on national issues that will promote peaceful co-existence of Nigerians.
ii. To review the alarming rise and spread of killings and general insecurity of lives and property in Nigeria, the underlying causes with the main purpose of addressing them towards a collective appraisal and solutions.
iii. To discourse the impact of economic management policies characterized by a rising debt profile, the impact on the hardship to vast segments of the Nigerian population and its implications for peace building and conflict prevention towards making recommendations to the appropriate authorities.
iv. To strengthen the existing network of Nigerian peoples towards practical and collective intervention in order to ensure peace and stability across the country.
v. To make recommendations to the Federal and State Governments on how to resolve the growing deep divisions and distrust resulting from the unfair nature of governance
Resolutions
· Agree that conflict is a wind that blows nobody any good.
· Commonly accept that in the presence of conflict, peace, economic development and prosperity are difficult to achieve.
· That henceforth, the Working Group on Peace and Conflict Prevention will be strengthened as a way to respond jointly and decisively to budding challenges that could snowball into conflict in any part of the country.
· Reached a unanimous consensus on the imperative of mobilizing the young generation of Nigerians as critical stakeholders, to take control of their destiny from the grip interests that manipulate them for parochial ends and who benefit from conflict and disorder.
· Set up a Joint Action Committee in each of the six geo-political zones to meet regularly and periodically to deal with any conflict issue that may arise. The Committee will be made up of people of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds. The committee will also work with relevant government institutions in the course of maintaining peaceful co-coexistence across the country.
· Condemn the human right violations of security operatives in the discharge of their duties and call for a more robust and meaningful co-existence between security operatives and communities.
· Resolved to pursue a process of ensuring a general review of the operational electoral regulations to accommodate a paradigm shift in the nation’s leadership selection processes so as to be more inclusive of younger people.
· Organize cross-ethnic and inter-religious advocacy visits led by youth groups across the country with the sole aim of promoting peaceful co-existence in Nigeria.
That the media will be further engaged, trained, mobilised and sensitised to promote peace and avoid reports that can inflame passion and further aid ethnic and religious divide in Nigeria .
· Seek the cooperation of regional and international bodies like Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), European Union, (EU), the United Nations, (UN) and other relevant groups in the search for peaceful co-existence in Nigeria given the threats uncomfortable developments in Nigeria posed to regional stability.
· Appreciate the existing support of international bodies and groups like Ford Foundation, (West Africa Regional Office) and the Institute of International Education, (IIE) toward peace and conflict prevention in Nigeria.
· Express deep appreciation for Journalists for Democratic Rights, (JODER) for hosting the summit at a difficult moment of COVID-19 pandemic while expressing gratitude to all delegates that made the sacrifice to attend the summit.
Signed
Adewale Adeoye