Pulse.ng : Clergyman says Muslim, Christain youths 2-2 draw in football friendly, providential opportunity

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Reports by Sani Idris

Rev. Fr Onuh Ladi, the Provincial Administrative Secretary of Health, Justice, Development and Peace (HJDP), Kaduna State, has described a 2-2 draw football friendly between Muslim and Christain youths in Kaduna community as providential.

The theme of the friendly was ‘Campaign against electoral violence: Zabe ba fada ba’ (election is not a fight)

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the youths, who competed in the Peace Cup football match, were drawn from Kaduna North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

It is to engender peaceful cooexistence among the communities within the LGA who are diverse in ethnic and religion, to ensure peace during and after the year’s general elections.

Ladi said the organisation provided a token of cash prize for which ever side won the match.

He said as the match progressed, officials whispered to the referee to maneuver and make it end in a draw, to achieve it’s peace target.

He, however, said that to his amazement, while the two teams scored one goal each, and the final whistle was about to be blown, the Muslim youths scored again, making it 2-1.

“Within very few minutes for the referee to end the match, the Christain youths scored, making it 2-2 and the final whistle was blown,” he said.

Ladi noted that the match ended up the way they wanted it, which signified victory for all.

He says that if the youths meet on election day, or any other place, they would not be strangers to themselves.

“This amounts to peace, and after the election, we will also bring them together for interaction and community activities,” he said.

Ladi further explained that the Peace Cup friendly, which was sponsored by Cardinal Onayekan Foundation for Peace, was prompted by the forthcoming elections.

He said as part of the fellowship program, they were tasked to carry out activities in the community, where he thought of the unifying strength in sports like football as a common social ground for youths to collaborate.

He urged them to continue to live in peace for the development of their communities and the state in general.

At the event, Imam Hussain Makanjuola, the Executive Director of Muslim Peace Network, said Nigeria and Kaduna as a state, had been faced with multiple challenges including lack of peace among diverse enthnic and religious groups.

He said any strategy such as the friendly match, aimed at fostering unity and peace, must be embraced by all and sundry to achieve meaningful development in societies.

“Football is a unifier, no matter the differences, it brings people, especially the youth, to a common ground to interact and socialise,” he said.

He expressed optimism that the event would engender countinuous peaceful cooexistance in the state and the Kaduna North LGA in particular, alreay characterised by a number of social vices.

Also, the Captains of both teams, Usman Yahaya and John Ferrey, thanked the organisers of the event for bringing them together to a common ground with an objective of building peaceful cooexistence.

The duo pledged to sustain the spirit of oneness and comradeship in their communities, while calling on other peace enthusiasts to emulate same for the benefit of the state in general.

The communities are Hayin Banki, Kawo, Abakpa, Malali and Unguwar Kanawa among others, where they were mixed to partake in the event.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)