Mulade meets northern monarchs, CAN president, harps for Nigeria’s unity

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

Foremost Niger Delta environmentalist and peace advocate, Chief (Comrade) Mulade Sheriff, convener of Nigeria for Peace Project, has emphasized that Nigeria needs total peace to surmount current challenges in the country.

Mulade, who doubled as the National Coordinator of the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, said this in Kano, during a week-long peace advocacy visit to the northern State.

Congress news learnt that Mulade at first visited the Kano State Chairman of CAN, Bishop John Namaza Niyiring, and later proceeded to see Major General Zamini Sarham (Rtd), HRH, (Dr) Faruk Umar Faruk, the Emir of Daura, Katsina State and His Royal Highness, the Etsu Nupe of Niger State where he strongly emphasized the urgent need for unity and reconciliation in Nigeria.

He said, “I am here with the co-convener of the project, Alhaji Ibrahim Waiya, to formally inform you that a project tagged Nigeria for Peace (N4P), an intervention initiative, was conceived and birthed by some like-minded civil society officials and patriotic individuals from across Nigeria who strongly believe in the nation’s unity.”

According to him, the nation had been confronted with many security, communal, and ethno-religious conflicts which had threatened the foundation of the country.

“It is imperative to state that the unity of Nigeria has continued to be threatened by bad elements who whipped up religious, ethnic and regional sentiments during political campaigns. This situation runs counter to our collective resolve to be a united and peaceful nation,” he added.

The peace advocate explained the passionate efforts to achieve this objective that had made some non-state actors and patriotic Nigerians, who had been working on national unity and peace, come together to champion the project through concerted efforts to complement other initiatives to restore and sustain national unity, cohesion, and peaceful coexistence, with sustainable national development as their goal.

While responding, the Kano State CAN Chairman, Bishop John Namaza Niyiring commended the group for the initiative, stating that Nigeria is in dire need of peace and total restoration, and promised to be part of the peace-building process. On his part, Maj. Gen. Zamini Sarham (rtd) thanked the group and also appreciated them for their laudable strides, calling on all and sundry to support the peace project for the sake of unity and well-being of our dear nation.

Receiving the delegation at his palace, His Royal Highness, Dr Faruk Umar Faruk, the Emir of Daura, Katsina State gave the group kudos for embarking on such a huge project to save Nigeria.

He stated, “We cannot pretend to be safe because our country has been faced with many serious challenges ranging from insurgency, armed banditry, kidnapping, to political thuggery and religious intolerance, all of which have helped to further deteriorate the unity of Nigeria. I want to assure you that I am fully in support of the project, and I will be committed to undertaking any responsibility for a peaceful and united Nigeria,” he asserted.

The delegation was also received by the Etsu Nupe and Chairman, Niger State Traditional Council, HRH Maj. Gen. Yahaya Abubakar (rtd). The Royal Father thanked the team and encouraged them to sustain the movement to fix Nigeria, despite our ethnic, cultural and religious diversities, to fast-track the development of our dear Nation.