Dasuki, Oristejafor to rulers: Work for peace

National Security Adviser(NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), has
challenged traditional rulers in the north to work towards harmonious
relationship in their domains.
He said the attainment of peaceful coexistence in restive communities
rests on their commitment and efforts.
Dasuki spoke yesterday in Abuja at a session with northern Christian
traditional rulers during a parley organised by the Northern States
Christian Elders Forum(NOSCEF).
While lamenting the activities of radical Islamic Boko Haram in the
north east, Dasuki assured that the federal government was leaving no
stone unturned in arresting the unacceptable situation.
According to him: "Traditional rulers have a responsibility to be
peace builders in their communities. While we work as a government on
fighting insurgency, we urge you to help build consensus that will
create peaceful coexistence."
The National President of Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN),
Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, regretted that some politicians were feeding
on the terror war for selfish gains.
According to him, the greatest war the nation is fighting is not
terror but insincerity.
The CAN's helmsman said: "Nigeria is fighting against truth. We hate
truth, we hide truth and we fear truth. It is so unfortunate.
"Nigeria is not free because we are running away from truth. Truth can
be bitter, but when you swallow it, when it gets inside, it could
become sweet."
He argued that the terror war is escalating because most Nigerians are
pretenders.
"We are like Ostriches, we are a nation of pretenders. We run away
from the truth and we want to believe that somehow, our troubles will
just vanish, but it never happened that way, because truth has a way
of creating a level playing ground for everybody," Oritsejafor
stressed.
NOSCEF's chair, Elder Olaiya Phillips, pointed out that the Boko Haram
insurgency is not based on Christians and Muslims dichotomy but an
onslaught against the Nigerian entity.
According to him: "As we saw with the bomb attack on the Central
Mosque in Kano recently, there are severe dangers to those who
actively speak out against Boko Haram. Friends – the challenges that
face our community and country are huge.
"Every day reports reach us from our members of new attacks by Boko
Haram and their followers. Each week a new town or village appears to
be briefly occupied, pillaged and then deserted before the insurgents
can be apprehended."
He added: "Innocent civilians are murdered, families are torn apart
and communities are expelled. Businesses, farms and churches are razed
to the ground. Like a wild bush fire, Boko Haram has spread from town
to town as they try to establish their vision of an 'Islamic
caliphate'.
"No longer contained in the Northeast, their terrorist attacks occur
all over the North of our country. The reach of their flames seem to
have no limit, even stretching as far as here in our capital."
Phillips called on the traditional rulers to become peace agents and
ensure their communities do not become theatres of war.

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