Unrest: What Nigeria, Nigerians can gain from HWPL —Prof. Babatunde Oni

Babatunde Oni, an associate Professor of Law in the department of Private and Property Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Lagos, attended the recently concluded 3rd Annual Commemoration of the World Alliance of Religions’ Peace (WARP) organised by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), Seoul, South Korea. He speaks with TUNDE OGUNESAN on the benefit of peace campaign to Nigeria as a country. Excerpts:

 

WHAT does Nigeria as a country stand to gain in World Peace message?

We stand to gain a lot; HWPL is all about peace and trying to achieve global peace. I came to Seoul, South Korea last year and was privileged to visit their war museum with relics from their war around 1950, and because of the conflict, HWPL chairman, Man Hee Lee, decided to have this NGO to maintain peace. Having listened to what they are doing here and participated in two summits consecutively, and other activities, I found out that it is all about using the instrumentality of law to achieve peace. There is Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), which is part of what HWPL has drafted as a document that contains 10 articles to entrench peace. When I checked the articles and evaluated what the situation is in Nigeria today, I am convinced that if Nigeria as a country is involved, it will actually be beneficial to us. This is because we are also experiencing some kinds of conflicts- Boko Haram, agitations from various minority groups like Biafra, IPOB and so on. So, what HWPL is all about is to engage in dialogue to settle issues instead of being violent or carrying ammunition when you can actually sit down at a roundtable and resolve this matter. So, if you look at the concept and what the NGO-HWPL stands for, there is no way Nigeria is not going to benefit. It’s not everytime you have to be confrontational to resolve issues. With this peculiarity, Nigeria has a lot to gain.

Aside that, another key area HWPL is promoting peace is about peace education like what they did in Rwanda. We also have a lot of IDPs in Nigeria, this would help the products of IDPs to be reintegrated into the society. If we are able to embrace peace education, we can start from these IDP camps and start teaching them about peace and when that is done, they can be taught how to be tolerant, not to be violent and forget about war.

On our part as legal experts in the academia, we are trying to see how we can also domesticate the DPCW in Nigeria, especially the adoption of the part which is relevant, by encouraging the government tool to key into the 10 articles. We also want to try our best to see that those in government are sensitised to be able to also key into what HWPL is doing. If we take into cognisance what is happening in Africa, countries like Sierria Leone, South Africa and others have been fully participating. Nigeria needs the peace message more than all these people. There is a need for us to also key into what HWPL is doing. From our end, we are looking at where we are going to have peace education probably as a course of study or to encourage the government to also adopt it as part of currculum in Nigeria.

 

Though Nigerian leaders are not somehow represented at the third WARP summit, what can you do to ensure this is improved upon, maybe from the next edition?

That is part of what we have been considering and probably trying to discuss. Number one; I am not sure if HWPL is registered in Nigeria as a legal body. So, probably government is looking at it as an association or NGO that has no root yet. Maybe we could offer legal advice for government to really know about it and let them know the reasons government should associate with such organisation. Again, maybe the invitation did not get to the appropriate quarters. But what I am sure of is that the Nigerian government will be much more interested if it is aware of what HWPL is all about. In addition, maybe the awarenes is not there. This is because there is a kind of misconception about what HWPL stands for, and it is very important for us to let people know that HWPL stands for peace, and its intellectually inclined, they are talking about law. DPCW is about international law; they are concerned about using the instrument of law to resolve dispute. To some people, they believe it is an NGO that is shrouded in uncertainty like a secret cult, or may be it is also an association that wants to gather for the fun of it. Unless you’re in South Korea for the WARP Summit, you may not understand, but I have been here on more than one ocassion. I think the Nigerian government does not know what HWPL is all about. As time goes on, I think these issues would be made clearer. Fore example, Nigerian delegates to this year’s WARP are a little bit improved from what we had in Seoul, South Korea, last year.

By the time we have a formal registration of HWPL in Nigeria, that could be a good way of bringing the attention of government to its activities. With improved publicity, awareness and better coordination, HWPL would be brought to the attention of the government in Nigeria.

 

What lessons can Nigeria and Nigerians learn from HWPL?

Nigerians have a lot to learn from the example being set by the chairman of HWPL, Man Hee Lee. Once you recognise that the peace of the people in your country is paramount to you, you won’t be so selfish. Though cultural and religious differences are greatly affecting Nigeria as a country, there is an initiative like peace committee in Nigeria that is very close to that. The former military Head of State, General Abdulsalam Abubakar (retd), started one peace committee, which tried to come in any moment there seems to be a kind of crisis. This kind of committee could be encouraged. It should be broadened, not sectional, especially when it relates to some power brokers; that is not we are saying. It has to be all-encompassing. I see no reason why people like that should be quiet when it comes to agitations like Biafra, militancy and even negotiation with Boko Haram. These are the issues, it should extend to these aspects.

People like General Abdulasalami Abubakar should be encouraged. From what we can see from what HWPL Chairman Lee is doing, if they are exposed to it, I believe we have one or two Nigerian leaders that would want to emulate him. To me, one of them probably needs to participate in this summit.

 

What is your advice to Nigerians?

I want to advice Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of peace and understand that with peace we can achieve a lot. Political stability, economic stability, educational stability are guaranteed with peace, violence hinders progress in all areas. No nation makes progress with violence. They should also encourage people to be ambassadors of peace, come out and support the ideal of being a peaceful and loving individual.