Abdulsalam, Sultan, Onaiyekan, Kukah Storm Kaduna Over Southern Kaduna Killings

Former Military head of state, General Abubakar Abdulsalam (Retd), the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, Catholic Bishops of Abuja and Sokoto, John Cardinal former head of state General Abubakar Abdulsalam (Retd), The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar, the Catholic Bishops of Abuja and Sokoto Diocesese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah yesterday held a closed door meeting with Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai over the killings in Southern Kaduna.This was part of efforts by the members of the National Peace Committee to tackle the incesant attacks in the Southern part of Kaduna State.Addressing newsmen after a close door meeting with the state Governor, General Abdulsalam said, We are here due to the recent happenings in Southern Kaduna. And from here within the week, we are going to meet with other stakeholders, religious leaders, the Chiefs in the area and also visit the site where these problems are and discuss with the people. After which we will now sit down and see what we think should be done.Then we come back to the governor and also if necessary to the federal government. Considering that these clashes and killings are not only limited to Kaduna state, it is something that is engulfing the country.So we want to make sure that peace reigns in Nigeria, to make sure that people know that we are together, we have to live in peace with each other and we have what it is to give and take. We are reaching a situation in the country where human live doesnt mean anyting to people and this is wrong.There is no religion on earth or anywhere that preaches violence. So this is why we are here today. We thank the governor and his team for recieving us. One of the points that the governor drew our attention to is the way people take law into their hands and they go scot free. And this impunity must be checked. These are some of the issues we discussed. Everybody is aggrieved in one way or the other, so what we prevail on the people to be patient, try as much as to forgive and to be each others keeper. We must live together, we must find solution to the problems to sit down and talk to ourselves because there is no problem that cannot be solved when you are talking to each other.Fielding questions from journalists after the meeting , Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah disclosed that the visit is more of a Solidarity with the people of Kaduna State.According to him , the National Peace Committee members are in Kaduna to hear first hand what exactly is happening and what they can do with the hope to find a way forward based on the situation.He also explained that as part of the delegation, who convened the peace committee, he said ,What we are doing now is trying to bring aboutpeace.Wedidnt just hold the election ,we are looking at how we can achieve peace and stability .I think what the people of Kaduna State, including the government should be doing now is to look into how we can achieve peace and development and I think that is the reason we have democracy.So whatever contributions anybody can make, we need to make it people have expressed their voices.What is going now is a very sad phase in our history, but I believe that we can get over it and we will get over it and come out much more stronger and committed to peace.
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