Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Ogun State Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, and other relevant stakeholders have emphasised the importance of peaceful co-existence among the citizenry in order to eliminate cases of Boko Haram insurgency and other vices nationwide.
The stakeholders, in their various submissions at the 2025 World Interfaith Harmony Week Conference with the theme “The love of God and the love of the neighbour,” held at the Trenchard Hall, University of Ibadan on Wednesday, noted that love is key to peaceful co-existence.
It was submitted that major religions across the globe preach love, and as a result, practitioners must abide by the doctrine.
Obasanjo, while quoting copiously from the Scripture, urged the people to abide by the doctrine of the various religions that underscored the importance of love.
According to him, “The principle is that we must love God and our neighbours irrespective of their religions and ethnic groups.”
Speaking in the same vein, Senator Daniel emphasised the need for peaceful co-existence among the citizenry.
He added that with love, the reported cases of violence and other vices would become a thing of the past.
In his keynote address, former Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Dogara submitted that reported cases of Boko Haram insurgency and other security challenges in the country are traceable to bad governance.
Dogara, who was represented at the occasion by Hon. Timothy Golu, submitted that Nigeria had witnessed a number of crises since independence, the worst of which was the civil war from 1966 to 1970, but regretted that the country has not learnt much from that sordid experience.
He disclosed that the Boko Haram insurgency that broke out in Borno State in 2009 has now metamorphosed into one of the most dangerous international terrorist organisations.
The Boko Haram insurgency has led to the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of over five million others in the North-Eastern part of the country.
“For the 12 months preceding December 12, 2024, 10 countries were categorised as extreme-conflict countries. These are – Palestine, Myanmar, Syria, Mexico, Nigeria, Brazil, Lebanon, Sudan, Cameroon, and Colombia.
“It is no surprise that Nigeria occupies the 6th position on the global chart. We have had a number of crises since independence, the worst of which was the civil war from 1966 to 1970. It seems we didn’t learn much from that sordid episode, after all.
“The evidence of our abysmal failure at nation-building is right under our noses – the formation or the rise of secessionist groups such as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, Niger Delta Frontier Force, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, Oduduwa People’s Congress, among others.
“However, it is in this democratic era that we are now witnessing the worst security challenges in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency that broke out in Borno State in 2009 has now metamorphosed into one of the most dangerous international terrorist organisations, leading to the deaths of thousands of people and the displacement of over five million others. At some point, Nigeria was ranked the third most terrorised country in the world after Afghanistan and Iraq.
“This is apart from mass kidnappings for ransom, banditry, armed robbery, ethnic and religious clashes. Also, the Farmer-Herders crisis has bedevilled Nigeria for some unbroken years now. It has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, damaged local economies, and entrenched ethnic and religious polarisation which continue to claim thousands of lives. Successive administrations since 1999 have been unable to tackle this, primarily due to ineffective responses.
“Only the uninformed doubt the fact that, as it is, we have arrived at our moments of national peril. Unfortunately, our history is marked by disturbing anecdotes of a series of ethno-religious violence that have profoundly stymied nation-building. I have said before that we cannot lose the fight against violence and still keep our civilisation and country. Therefore, if our democracy must deliver on its promises, we must deploy our collective will and energy to root out violence. For it is not materialistic things, power or pride that make a nation great and strong, only the willingness of great men and women within it to reach out to each other and work together.
“I presume it is because of a lack of leadership and denial of personal responsibility, which has become a moral epidemic today. Leaders think and talk about solutions and responsibility is at the heart of leadership because the leader is the one who responds to a need. That response may be to God’s call or to the needs they see around them, in this case, the unmitigated violence we witness on a daily basis. It is said that “everything rises and falls on leadership.”
“No society throughout history has ever risen above the level of its leadership. Sadly, when we abdicate our responsibility, all we have left is to cover up our weakness as in the case with us now. Assuredly, our lives will begin to change the day we take responsibility for it. The future of peace, development, and progress is very possible but only if we take the risk and accept the responsibility of consciously creating it.”
In attendance at the event were former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar who was represented by President of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Rev. Daniel Okoh, former President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Supo Ayokunle, Executive Secretary of MUSWEN, Professor Muslih Tayo Yahaya and Dr Yemi Farounbi.
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