CHIEF OF DEFENSE STAFF's OFFICE ON PEACE INITIATIVE IN SOUTHERN KADUNA SUES FOR PEACE

CHIEF OF DEFENSE STAFF's  OFFICE ON PEACE INITIATIVE IN SOUTHERN KADUNA SUES FOR PEACE

The office of Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR has organized an interactive session for various communities in Southern Kaduna.

The interactive session is aimed at ensuring peaceful co-existence among the different ethnic groups in the area.

Addressing participants during the programme ,the Special Adviser to the Chief of Defense Staff, Mr Musa Likita urged the different ethnic groups in the area to co-exist peacefully with one another irrespective of religious or ethnic colouration.

According to him  the  Chief of Defense Staff CDS is worried with the issue of insecurity bedeviling the country and southern Kaduna in particular, especially unexplained killings, kidnappings, armed robbery and banditry.

 Mr. Likita called on all and sundry to give the CDS the necessary support in his determination to end criminality in the country, and opined that peaceful co-existence is the panacea of any developed society.

He admonished different ethnic groups in southern Kaduna to co-exist peacefully with one another irrespective of religious and tribal affiliation as according to him peaceful co-existence gingers development.

He called on the people to cultivate the habit of forgiveness among themselves and shun reprisal whenever they are aggrieved as revenge always escalate crisis. "I urged you to embrace the spirit of forgiveness whenever you are aggrieved as reprisal is a wild wind that blows nobody any good, leave revenge to God almighty because he is the ultimate decider of any wrong doing".

He then called on participants to bare their minds on issues that are contributing to lack of peace and insecurity as such views will be communicated through feedback mechanism to the authority for possible solutions.

Also speaking at the occasion Dr. Saleh Momale of Kaduna State peace commission sued for unity for peace to reign, he said that a united society is a peaceful society, and called on each community to unite for the sustenance of peaceful co-existence.

  In her own contribution during the interactive session, Mrs Aisha Aliyu Usman the Executive Director of unique centre for peacebuilding and Trauma healing Jos observed peacebuilding is the bedrock of any developed society and   implored participants to spread the message of peace as advocated by the office of Chief of Defense Staff CDS to their various communities to achieve the set objectives.

  Also speaking at the occasion the Chief Imam of Kafanchan central mosque and chairman council of Imams and Ulamas southern Kaduna zone Alhaji Mohammed Kabir Kassim has commended the office of Chief of Defense Staff CDS for initiating the peace initiative to educate the diverse ethnic groups in the area on the need to co-exist peacefully with one another.

  He said the objectives behind the peace initiative is a laudable one as it will go a long way in in cementing peace in southern Kaduna and called on Nigerians to give the Chief of Defense Staff CDS the necessary support to succeed in his efforts in ensuring peace in the nation.

     In his own message of peace, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kagarko Local Government Area Rev. Farther Michael Magaji commended the foresight of the office of the chief of Defense Staff CDS for the peace initiative in southern Kaduna assuring that the people will work towards ensuring peace at all times.

  He said " We are going to work hard in ensuring peaceful co-existence by supporting the chief of Defense Staff CDS General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR in ensuring that insecurity is eliminated in Nigeria".

  All participants at the interactive session on Peace Initiative in southern Kaduna agreed that some of the problems in the country now like spade of killings, kidnappings and banditry and appealed to government to work towards stamping out the menace, another problem they observed was lack of employment for our teaming youths that have finished schools and are roaming the streets jobless, this they observed is also contributing to insecurity.

  In his speech, the special assistant to the CDS ,Alhaji Hussaini Kassim has drum up more support for the  CDS in his determination to end insecurity bedeviling the country, adding that the present Chief of Defense Staff is a workaholic, who is working round the clock to ensure a secured Nigeria.

   He decried the menace of drug abuse among the youths which is a contributing factor to insecurity and adjure parents to ensure proper upbringing of their wards and children.

  In his own opinion a man from Zango urban who prefer anonymity observed that the appointment of General Christopher Gwabin Musa OFR as  Chief of Defense Staff  has drastically reduced the incidence of killings in zangon Kataf and environs and appealed to the people of Southern Kaduna nay nigerians to support the  CDS in his determination in ensuring peaceful country.

 The peace initiative interactive session covered all the Local Government Areas in southern Kaduna namely Jema,a, Jaba, Sanga, zangon Kataf and Kachia.

Others are Kajuru, Chikun, Kauru and Lere Local Government Areas.

  The peace initiative interactive session was led by Mr. Musa Likita,  Special adviser to the Chief of Defense Staff.