COMMUNITY PEACE INITIATIVES NETWORK

COMMUNITY PEACE INITIATIVES NETWORK

ABDULLAHI OMAKI

It is Time for a Nigeria that her Citizens Desire, Statement Delivered by Amb Abdullahi A. Omaki, Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of AOCPIN, on the Occasion of the Inauguration of the National Peace and Harmony Council of the AOCPIN, on May 23rd, 2024.

Protocol

Members of the Board of Trustee of the AOCPIN.

The Patron and Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu

Dada,

The Chairman of the AOCPIN’s National Peace and Harmony Council, (Rtd)

Colonel Lawan Gwadabe.

Members of the National Peace and Harmony Council,

The Chairman and Members of the AOCPIN’S BOT,

The ED and Senior Management of AOCPIN, and

Gentlemen of the Press.

I am pleased to join the Executive Director of AOCPIN in warmly welcoming each and everyone of you to this momentous occasion. I will like to prefix my remarks around a common denominator, for all Nigerians: It is time for a Nigeria that her citizens desire. Nigeria will not be what we all desire her to be by doing nothing, instead, we all must do something to steer her into the direction we all desire her to be. On the part of AOCPIN, we believe that multi-stakeholders concerted partnerships and collaborations, involving majority of interests, would facilitate the realization of evolving a Nigeria we collectively desire to have. Today, we have taken a major step, by establishing a NPHC, to spearhead the AOCPIN’s activities that have the potentials to move our country on the trajectory that her citizens desire her to be.

2. Today is therefore, a very significant day for me personally as indeed, my colleagues that manage the affairs of the AOCPIN. The journey to where we are today has not been easy but quite worth our efforts, energies, time and resources. We have had sleepless nights, thinking and wondering how to start decent conversations about the future of Nigeria without being misunderstood. Today, the rumbling time is over, we have overcome the dreams and now face to face with the realities of the security and governance challenges confronting Nigeria. These challenges, clearly require creativity, innovative thinking and demonstrable boldness to be just and truthful, to address them to the satisfaction of Nigerians.

3. The citizens of Nigeria like their country and love themselves. We also know, that no matter how deep, love is, couples still witness great stresses managing the relationship, which sometimes breakdown, leading to consensual and many times not so consensual, total collapse of such unions. Nations also witness internal convulsions leading to agitations for break-ups. Nigeria was challenged to a breaking point in 1967, leading to a tragic civil war, that happily ended in January 1970.

4. Since then, Nigeria continues to slide into various phases of instability and insecurity that are deeply rooted in our diversity-ethno-cultural, religious, socio- economic, political and governance deficits. The huge diversity of Nigeria, easily created trust issues, whose creative management to convert to huge assets, are yet to produce tangible results across communities and nationally. Fostering national unity, building peace and harmonious co-existence between and amongst hundreds of ethnic groups across Nigeria and even promoting faith in Nigeria, have proven to be herculean tasks for the successive governments in our country since the attainment of independence in 1960.

5. Over the years, the advantages that these multidimensional diversities should ordinarily have created for Nigeria’s development and progress, have regrettably transformed into other challenges, with suffocating impact on our dear country and citizens.

6. Additionally, our national elites and especially our political class, have compounded matters as they continue to be at the centre of huge manipulations of Nigeria’s diversity in ethnicity, religion, culture and politics, obstructing opportunities for effective national cohesion for integration and collaboration for national development and progress.

7. The persistence of these challenges as we heard from the Executive Director’s

welcome address, necessitated the main consideration for founding the AOCPIN.

Today, we face numerous challenges that continue to test our resolve, our

compassion and our commitment for peaceful co-existence. But, in the face of

adversity, we have a choice: to let our differences divide us or to come together, in

the spirit of peace, harmony and unity. By gathering here today, we have made a

deliberate choice for peace. That is why, we at the AOCPIN, are honoured, as we

inaugurate this National Peace and Harmony Council. This Council represents a beacon of hope, a symbol of our collective desire to re-build a society where every individual can thrive, regardless of their background, beliefs or affiliations. Peace and Harmony are not mere ideals, but essential foundations upon which we build, a just, equitable and prosperous nation. Peace and Harmony are necessarily bridges that connect our diverse communities, the threads that weave our social fabric together and the pillars that support our collective progress. Peace and Harmony therefore, require efforts and dedication. They demand that we engage in difficult conversations, that we listen to each other’s perspectives and that we work together to address the injustices and inequities that have long plagued our society.

8. There is the urgent necessity now, to re-think creative initiatives and platforms that can evolve new networks of actors that are committed to driving effective peacebuilding processes, using a whole-of-the-society-approach that is anchored on justice as sole harbinger for durable peace across Nigeria. The critical challenge before this Council, is how to imaginatively construct harmony, equity and justice by addressing past acts that have inflicted trauma and hindered peace in our communities. Related to this is the apparent failure in our democracy to deliver positive dividends to our people. Addressing issues of poor governance as well as winner takes-all approach are vital for harmony and promoting peace in our communities and country as well as enhance the standing of Nigeria in our sub- region and continent.

9. I have no doubts in my mind that with the caliber of members of this Council, we shall succeed in our collective efforts to reclaim Nigeria from its current multiple challenges that daily threaten its safety and existence. The Council is made up of individuals, who possess deep knowledge and understanding of the history of the peoples of Nigeria, commensurate expertise in conflict resolutions and management and a purposeful understanding of the country’s socio-cultural and political landscape. The members are carefully drawn, in equal number, to represent each geo-political zone of our country, its demography and gender. Other members we have approached are yet to revert to us with their decision and since we have a sizeable number of those that accepted to serve, we decided to move on and

commence addressing the tasks ahead of us. Whenever they revert to us positively,

hey have roles awaiting them.

10. The mandate for the Council’s concerted work, for its initial first two years,

beginning from today, is attached to the documents that we shared with you. The

Council of the whole, may find it necessary to quickly, at this inaugural meeting, adopt it in its entirety, or with amendments, so that we have a documented guiding sets of principles for the various phases of the Council’s engagements for our country.

11. It is important therefore, that I urge all of you, to make this mandate document, the most important reference operational document. Although the Secretariat of the Council is the AOCPIN, I understand the need for a dedicated focal point as principal liaison between Council Members and between the Council and the AOCPIN. It is for this reason that we are dedicating Amb Moh Awwal Atose, to the Council, who will alongside the ED of AOCPIN, work as a Secretariat for the realization of the mandate of the Council.

12. Let me now specifically thank our Interim Council’s leadership, for accepting

my appeals to them, not only to join hands with us but to assume the leadership of the Council to demonstrate our commitment to Nigeria, its citizens and Africa. Our former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada (Patron), Colonel (Rtd) Lawan Gwadabe (Chairman), Prof Jideofor Adibe (Vice Chairman) and Amb Usman Baraya (Publicity Secretary and Spokesperson of the Council). The AOCPIN owes you, together with every other Member of the Council, loads of gratitude for agreeing to undertake with us, this duty that we owe to our communities, country, West Africa and the rest of our Continent. I express sincere and deep gratitude, to all of you, who so kindly, consented to our request to be a part of this body. Your decisions to embrace this opportunity, which may be the golden touch to re-set Nigeria, is a great act of patriotism and we pray that this opportunity shall deliver peace and stability to our country and facilitate the renewal of trust with and between our peoples.

13. Let me at this point, pay glowing tributes to our Board Members, for keeping faith with us. Some have helped financially to meet basic obligations, many contributed variety of ideas, especially tailored to suit the resolution of emerging and existing challenges, while others continue to participate in the Organization’s monthly Radio program on Peace Advocacy Networks on Education and Leadership (PANEL). All of you are appreciated. It is also very important, that I express deep gratitude to the Director-General of the NIA, for the Institutional support to us, which has helped us tremendously, as we continue to collate and update our Desk- review research findings and recommendations on the strategic conflicts

assessments in Nigeria. We are equally deeply grateful to the DG, IPCR, our

partnering organization, who so kindly permitted us to utilize their strategic conflict assessment report on Nigeria and map-out appropriate responses that would seek to a whole-of-the-society-approach to containing and addressing both existing and emerging challenges in our country and provide effective leadership in West Africa.

14. As I conclude, permit me to reiterate that this Council, is a clarion call to action. It is a call to put aside our differences and work towards a common purpose. It is a call to embrace our diversity and celebrate our unique experiences. It is a call to re- build a nation where every individual can live with dignity, respect and hope for a better and greater Nigeria.

15. As we embark on this journey together, let us draw inspiration from our shared humanity. Let us recognize that our struggles are interconnected, that our triumphs are collective and that our peace and harmony are intertwined. Let us work tireless to build a nation where every voice has a chance to be heard, every face has a chance to be seen and everyone is valued. Let us strive to create a society where our differences are not divisions but strengths, where our diversity is not a weakness but a source of creativity, innovation and progress. As we take these first steps today, in a long journey towards peace, harmony and stability, let us walk this path together with courage, compassion and conviction. Let us show the world that even in the darkness of times, there is always hope, always a chance for redemption and always a path towards peace and harmony. May our efforts be blessed for the realization of unity and collective action in building a peaceful, stable and harmonious society for

a brighter future for Nigeria, West Africa and the African continent.

16. I thank you all.