Northern Nigerians in Canada seek dialogue, reconciliation over security crisis

The Association of Northern Nigerians in Canada (ANNIC), a not-for-profit organisation, has called on federal and state governments to prioritise dialogue and genuine reconciliation in solving multiple challenges in Nigeria.

In a statement, Samira Golo, ANNIC’s president, said the government must fulfill its mandate of protecting lives and properties in manners devoid of force.

They condemned the killings in southern Kaduna and other parts of the north, saying life is fast becoming cheap and worthless.

ANNIC asked Nigerian leaders to improve their skill on diversity management to facilitate an inclusive government which is needed for peace.

The association recommended that ongoing efforts by state and federal authorities aimed at restoring peace and order in all parts of the country need to be intensified.

“Collective security of life and property is perhaps the most important factor in the decision of populations to live together under the authority of a state. This we believe is a responsibility of every government to its citizens,” ANNIC said.

“Employing dialogue and genuine reconciliation to address disagreements and conflicts needs to be a number one priority. Force has been used for a very long time to match force with no end in sight to the crisis rather, the continuous deterioration in societal relationships and monumental loss of resources.

“In scaling up dialogue, the mode of operation should be inclusive, and involving coordinated efforts by traditional rulers, youth organizations, the media, civil society and community-based organizations, and even the armed forces. A multi-faceted crisis requires addressing multiple fronts.

“The government must employ effective and sustainable ways to manage available resources to achieve its mission – to protect the ever-growing numbers of its population from poverty, ignorance, disease, and all human and physical vulnerabilities.”

They also condemned the killings in southern Kaduna and asked the government to finding a lasting solution.

ANNIC was incorporated in 1996, as a non-profit organisation devoted to the welfare primarily of northern Nigerians and of other Nigerians who share the ideals upon which the organization was founded.