A head of World International Peace Day celebrated 21st September every year, various religious and NGOs on Wednesday took a walk along majority streets of Kaduna metropolis, Northwest of the country preaching the gospel of peace.
Founder of The Eye Opener, organizer of the exercise, Margaret Gwada Julius said that the purpose of the Peace Walk was to bring back together the people of Kaduna state that had been separated by political crisis and religious crisis, culminating into disunity.
“The organization is bent on bringing the state back to its old Glory to live in peace, harmony and tranquility.
Margaret stressed that Hope was not lost and that all hands must be on deck towards bringing back the cherished unity of kaduna state and the north in general.
“We have gathered over 200 women and religious leaders with various stake holders on peace building to join us in today’s endurance trekking with the aims of uniting the people and the state in general,” She said.
She called on the State and Federal Governments to join hands together and restore peaceful coexistence to Kaduna state and the entire north.
Speaking shortly after the peace walk, Pastor Yohana Buru, who is the General Over seer of Christ Evangelical and Life Intervention Ministry commended her for the onerous effort in bringing mobilising various NGOs to participate in the exercise.
“We have mobilised pastors and imams to joined us in today’s endurance trekking with us to bring back peace and togetherness between Muslims and Christians and other traditional believers
“Peace is all we want in Nigeria, and without peace there cannot be any meaningful development
“We must pray hard and begged almighty God for forgiveness on issues related to the growing crisis and lack of peace across the planet
“Something is wrong, and there is need to address.
“We need to go back to our creator and begged him for forgiveness, Pastor Buru posited.
Also speaking, An interfaith specialist in Nigeria, Hajiya Ramatu Tijjani, who also took part of the endurance trekking said the international peace day was part of efforts to strengthen inter- and intra-religious relationship toward preventing and countering violent extremism and promoting peace building, reconciliation and conflict transformation, which are parts of the Day to be marked worldwide.”
Ramatu who is also a peace ambassador noted that ethno-religious and political crisis in Kaduna state have affected hundreds of lives and properties as well as the peaceful co-existence enjoyed by the people.
She then “called for the creation of institutes of comparative studies in the country, saying the institutes would promote better understanding, religious tolerance, forgiveness, reduce blasphemy tendencies and continuously preach peace and harmony between Muslims and Christians.”
“In order to make statements or generalisations about religion, the concept of religion, rather than a specific religion or group of religions, we need to engage in comparative study of religions so as to reduce ethno-religious attacks and blasphemy.
Muslims and Christians must remember that they are from one God and their original parents were Adam and Eve,
“We must join hands toward promoting peace and stability in the country”
The Chief host and the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kaduna state Council, Comrade Adamu Yusuf who joined the peace walk expressed delight at the efforts made by the Founder The Eye Opener Madam Margaret Gwada Julius and promised the readiness of the council to collaborate with the NGO to achieve the desired objectives.
He said without peace nothing would be achieved in any country.
The Peace Walk attracted security personnel from the Nigerian Police, Civil Defense Corpse, NDLEA among others.
