By Joseph Edegbo :
Worried by the prevailing security challenges in Kaduna State, Son of late Kudirat Abiola, Abduljamiu Abiola has said if his mother were alive, she wouldnt be happy over the situation, because she detaste violence.
The son said his mother who was born in Sabon Gari area of Zazzau emirate, lived with members of the community peacefully thereby describing her as a woman of peace.
“Yes she wouldnt be happy over the insecurity in Kaduna State. She would have put in efforts to ensure that peace prevails in the state”, Abiola stressed.
The Son was attesting to her Late mother at a two day capacity training for staff of Chikun Local Government Area organised by Kaduna Peace Commission in collaboration with Kudirat Abiola Sabon Garin Peace Foundation on Wednesday .
Abiola noted that the foundation was miffed with the insecurity in the state, saying, it was based on this premise that they want to educate the local government staff on the need to have peace in the communities.
‘We are starting in Chikun LG as a pilot scheme for us to see how we can move to other local government areas of the state”, he concludes.
Speaking at the event, Permanent Commissioner, Kaduna State Peace Commission Hajiya Khadijah Hawaja Gambo said to ensure peace is attained in the local government areas, the commission set up peace committes in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state in line with the law establishing the commission.
“In 2019, we set up the peace committees. In 2020, we were about starting the training of peace committees before COVID-19 outbreak prevented it,” she explained.
Hajia Gambo said while they were thinking of how to commence the training for the peace committees, Kudirat Abiola Foundation approached them and they entered partnership.
“God blessed us with the Kudirat Foundation, who came knocking on our doors for partnership and we grabbed the opportunity.
“They were magnanimous and asked for the pressing issue and we told them we needed to train our peace committees to be on ground effectively,” she disclosed.
“We are looking forward to Kaduna returning to a peaceful state, not only Kaduna, but NIgeria, she declared.
In her remarks, the Overseer Chikun LGA, Mrs Jummai Yero, in a goodwill message, said that Chikun is delighted to be first for the training of peace committee members.
“As we attend this workshop, we would be able to reform Chikun LGA and make it peaceful again.
“We pray God intervenes and stops our youth because drug abuse is a big problem.
“Chikun LGA needs serious counseling and peace. We need funds to be able to achieve more and step the programme down to various wards and even districts,” she stressed.
Declaring the training the event open, Commissioner for local government, Jaafaru Sani commended the Iniative of the organisers in bringing the training to the grassroots.
He observed that peace is becoming an expensive venture than governance, saying, I know how cost effective it is to manage crisis if it erupted in local government.