Udom Emmanuel, Akwa Ibom state governor, has advocated collaborative efforts beyond the boundaries of ethnicity, race, socio-cultural construct, religious affiliation, and doctrinal differences.
The governor, who stated this at the inclusive security dialogue retreat at the Airlie Conference Center, Warrenton, Virginia, United States of America by the Global Peace Foundation in collaboration with Vision Africa said, this is pertinent because the current reality in Nigeria is heartrending, and one that urgently seeks leadership with the moral authority to navigate the country out of the muddy waters of self-destruction and disintegration.
Emmanuel, who was one of the few key influencers selected for the strategy meeting, noted that “to stem the tide of extremists in Nigeria, whether religious fundamentalists, dissident Islamists, or militia groups, will ultimately mean addressing the conditions that foster radicalism – poverty, unemployment, social dislocation, cultural polarization, and a large demographic of disaffected young people.”
He said since government has been variously accused of politics of parochial interest and tyrannical agenda, it becomes difficult for it to adequately act as an arbiter for conflict resolution and genuine peace.
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He expressed worry that “Nigeria is facing an existential challenge nurtured by the narrow identities of politics, ethnicity, wrong interpretation of religion, and corruption, exacerbated by economic deprivations, violent
extremism, and the rise of ethnic militia groups.
“In the last few months, the country has witnessed a surge in protests such as the ENDSARS with accompanying destruction of lives and property.
Kidnapping and abductions have dramatically increased, with more than seven hundred students taken since the beginning of this year. We have witnessed the death of police and military officers in different parts of the country at the hands of a new group called the “Unknown Gunmen,” who have also burnt various police facilities. The rampaging of herdsmen and bandits is practically uncontrollable as they kill, maim and chase people out of their
communities”, all of which he noted have led the multiple regions of the country to resorted to establishing their own security units, arguing that the central government is either unwilling or unable to protect its citizens.”
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The governor maintained that the retreat was going to afford stakeholders opportunity to meet and transparently address “critical issues and seek lasting solutions to the grave challenges facing Nigeria, beginning from an affirmation of transcendent truths that define our common humanity.”
He said the discussions would outline and examine the root causes of agitations and violence in the country, provide a safe environment for stakeholders and key actors to open dialogue and chart a path forward and also bridge gaps across ethnic, religious, cultural, and ideological divides to better understand the conflict dynamics and provide a platform for reconciliation.
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