Jos Christian, Muslim Youths Rally For Peace

Disturbed by the unending crises in Jos, the Plateau state capital in North Central Nigeria, Christian and Muslim youths embarked on a peaceful rally on major streets of the city on Thursday.

The rally was part of activities to mark this year’s World Peace Day. Other activities lined up to mark the day were novelty football match between Muslims and Christians and religious prayers as well as seminar on peace to climax the activities.

The youths were accompanied by security personnel to Plateau state House of Assembly complex where they expressed their displeasure over the bloodletting in the state and called on stakeholders in the state to close ranks in the interest of peace.

Rev. Joseph Bot who led the group said the spate of violence in the state must stop and restoration of peace should be everybody’s business.

He decried the division of settlements in the state along religious line, saying it undermined the peaceful co-existence of the two major religions.

Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor Jonah Jang on Peace Building, Barrister Parlong Timothy said the causes of the crises in the state are many but religion is just one of them.

He said but today both Christians and Muslim youths have teamed up to preach peace.

Parlong said there must be peace in the state for government to be able to deliver the dividends of democracy to the citizens and urged all and sundry to cooperate with the security agencies in the state and report any suspicious movement and persons.

He regretted that businesses have been paralysed and people can no longer move freely and sleep with their eyes closed due to the security challenges in the state, adding that the only solution to the problem is dialogue and reconciliation.

The deputy Speaker of the state Assembly, John Shekarau blamed the persistent crises on religious leaders in the state who preach inciting sermons.

He said they must desist from it as they are doing the state harm rather than good.

He declared that the state has had enough of the crises and that it won’t stop calling on the youths who have solution to the crises in the state to come forward and proffer solutions to the House Committee investigating the causes of the crises.

Shekarau advised the youths to shun violence and embrace peace so that they could be useful to the society as those who fought for the nation’s independence are youths and as such the restoration of peace rests squarely on the youths.

The lawmaker wondered what people benefit from destroying lives and property, saying both Muslims and Christians are brothers and sisters and political or ethnic differences should not be allowed to disturb the peace in the state.

—Audu Nankpah/Jos