‘Dialogue is better’ – Anglican archbishop endorses southern Kaduna’s peace pact

Ali Buba Lamido, archbishop of the Anglican Church in Kaduna, has endorsed the peace pact signed by warring communities in the southern part of the state.

The pact was signed by the Atyap, Hausa and Fulani communities following the recurring violence that has led to the loss of lives and property in the southern part of the state.

In a statement, Lamido said the resolutions of the meeting would ensure peace if they are all implemented

The archbishop said nothing more than “communication and personal contacts” would achieve the peace that always eluded these parts.

“We need a network of think tanks and dialogues to enhance social and economic relations to promote welfare and prosperity of the people in the area,” he said.

“Without such mechanisms, community leaders will be tempted to abdicate their responsibilities, thereby allowing external forces to cause conflicts in the area.

“I was really impressed by that giant move to restore peace in Atyap chiefdom. It is a fact that the way in which a society decides to deal with conflicts determines the extent to which long term stability and reconciliation may be achieved. Intervention efforts should be made to prevent the recurrence of conflicts while repairing the damage caused.

“To achieve peace, there is nothing better than communication and personal contacts. Dialogue is a way of peace and needed for solving interpersonal tensions. Peace and prosperity certainly depend on increasing interaction with others and building bridges across divides.

“We also need to encourage an indispensable interdependency between different groups in the area. It is a truism in our context that, where ethnic and religious antagonism leads to bloodshed is usually because politicians have inflamed passions to secure their own grip on power.”

Lamido urged the Kaduna state government “to support this move in every way possible.”

“This is a success story and we hope other communities will take cue from them. It is a fact that development cannot take place if there is no peace,” the archbishop said.