Pulse.ng : Elections: Don’t militarise political space, allow democracy thrive, urges Rev. Fr

Agency Report

By Sani Idris

Rev. Fr Onuh Ladi, the Provincial Secretary for Health, Justice, Development and Peace (HJDP), Kaduna, has urged the government not to militarise the political space by allowing democracy take its course in the upcoming general elections.

He gave the advice on Saturday in Kaduna while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of a grassroots stakeholders sensitisation workshop to prevent election related violence.

NAN reports that the programme attracted participants from across religious, youths and community leaders from the 12 wards of Kaduna North LGA, comprising 48 people each from Muslim and Christain communities.

It was organised by Lux Terra Leadership Foundation (LTLF) in collaboration with the HJDP.

Ladi noted that the workshop was to reawakened the people’s conciousness to avoid violence and vote for their choice without any form of friction on, during and after the elections.

He xplained that Kaduna North LGA was chosen because of its volatility and previous history of post electoral violence, which usually subsequently took religious dimensions.

“Kaduna North has people of the two religions leaving together and having different tribes; we timed this workshop as the elections is just some days ahead so that we can talk and share ideas for peace building,” he said.

Ladi decried the current situation of Naira and fuel scarcity, while calling on the people to remain resolute, continue praying and being good citizens to see the challenges passed by.

He also frowned at politicians who make inciting utterances, while urging religious, traditional and youth leaders to continue preaching peace for development to have its way in the society.

Besides, he urged the people to avoid being used by politicians to incite violence through religion and other means for their selfish interest.

Alhaji Majeed Dahiru, LTLF Abuja, said Kaduna State has been a volatile city centre in Nigeria which has history of electoral violence.

Dahiru represented the Executive Director of LTLF, Fr. George Ehusani.

Describing Kaduna as a pluralistic state with Muslims and Christian population cutting across different ethic groups, he said the sensitisation which drew stakeholders at the grassroots, was aimed at seeking their understanding and collaboration to serve as preventive agents against violence before, during and after the elections.

According to Majeed, if the communities themselves take ownership of peace processes, it will be effective and form a strong barrier against religion and ethnic manipulation against the people by those seeking to divide and rule them.

He further said that religion has been one of the major drawbacks for Nigeria’s development since transition from military to civil rule.

“Politics of identity in terms of religion and ethnicity has been our problem, it has been identified by the stakeholders in this workshop as the mitigating factor for peaceful co-existence and national development.

“Identity politics should have no place in modern politics, it undermines democracy which is government of the majority, identity politics makes it a government of ethnic and religious majority.

“The Government of ethnic and religious majority will create ethnic and religious minority that is perpetually marginalised which create tension, undermining and derail the polity to stage failure,” Majeed said.

He therefore urged Nigerians to avoid ethnic and religious politics, while describing Nigeria as a young but adult democracy.

“We should by this time begin to politic along pragmatic lines of economy, security and environmental interest away from religion and ethnicity which had completely rendered our democracy impotent,” he said.

Some of the participants, Malam Ismail Usman and Mr Ishaya Shekara, said the workshop was timely and thought provoking.

The duo called on parents to ensure they caution their children against engaging as agents of distraction for politicians, before during and after the elections.

They thanked organisers of the workshop, while pledging to play their roles as community leaders to ensure guidance and control of the youths in the upcoming elections.

NAN reports that Hayin Banki, Kawo, Abakpa, Malali and Anguwan Kanawa are among other communities of Kaduna North LGA that participated in the programme. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)