By Ibrahim Yakubu:
Interfaith Meditation Centre Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria has said that it is training 120 youths from 52 communities cross four Local Government Area of Kaduna State to become peace gate in their communities.
This is with a view to maintaining peace and unity among the residents.
Imam Nurai Ashafa Co- executive Director Inter faith Mediation Centre announced this at a one day seminar on youth Initiative, Tolerance and Peaceful Coexistence.
He explained that the aim of the training is to Sensitize youths against electoral violence.
“That is why we brought in successful youth who have not engaged in violence or youth who have once upon a time in the level but have moved to the higher level.
“The next level where they realise that they succeeded after cutting off from being violence in their community this are the type of people we bring together” he said.
According to him, they create cycle for the youth where they can begin to talk together on the better future they can have and recognition.
He emphasised that, the event would not be ending with the sensitization, but is moving to the next level where they make sure they engaged five categories of people religions leaders, professional group on empowerment process.
“That’s why we feel is different from ordinary seminar which beyond sensitization, also involved attitudinal change “he said.
According to him, the key important goals is that they bring youth, the good, the bad and the ugly together.
“We bring the most successful ones, and the youth who are in difficulty situation ,we also bring youth who have also lost hope youth who are political thugs and the drugs addict this are the ones we call the ugly” he said.
He noted that, they synchronize the youth together to serve as a bridge across communities to work on the political process to be part of known violence and credible political process in the country.
He disclosed that, what has been put in place could make a difference in the lives of the youth because they youth are selected across 52 hubs where political thugs where recruited.
“Youth who are in between the bridge of Kaduna, where on this side of the bridge, you see the Christians, and the Muslims on the other side.
“Gonin gora, nasarawa, television, unguwa rimi, we select from the circle.
The moving spirit among the youth, the most stubborn and the most foresight these are the type of people we bring together to the seminar.
In a separate interview Pastor Joseph Wuye who is also co-executive Director interfaith media center said the meeting with the youth is to further educate them on the need for violent free election.
He disclosed that, the youth were selected from four metropolitan local government areas that are prone to violence.
“We want them to be peace gate that will prevent violence from happening during the election.
“We also want to educate them to be watchers, that is to say they should be peace ambassadors.
“Peace watchers entails looking at the things happening during the election that can promote peace and encourage it through social media and other plat forms.
“Seeing the things that will bring about violence and discourage it through civic reportage in terms of telling people the good things and the bad things while doing it with dictum.
He said at the end of the seminar, they would contribute to peaceful coexistence in Kaduna metropolis.
He noted that all stakeholders should use various platforms to keep telling people, the need for peaceful elections.
He also called on politicians to also accept defeat and be inclusive in their appointment instead of the winner takes it all.
He also thanked, King Abdullaziz centre for cultural and international inter religious dialogue center for their support and Kaduna state government for the partnership.
In their goodwill messages, representatives of CAN, JNI advised the youths to learn the habit of forgiveness and should also desist from being used to propagate violence during and after the elections.
Speaking also Mr Samue Aruwan, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Governor Nasiru El-rufai on Media and Publicity also charged the youth to be good ambassadors and not be used for political gains.
According to him, all the lessons they learnt from the seminar should be used as social responsibility by propagating the message to the people of their communities.
He stated that the Kaduna state government would provide adequate security to people to perform their franchise during the election.
Aruwa called on the people to vote according to their conscience adding that, no one should be intimidated in the state.
