The second national summit on peaceful coexistence and nation building by Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria, DCCN, has come to an end with a communique issued signed by President and Secretary General, Mallam Muhammad Lawal Maidoki and Engr. Ahmad Jumba, respectively.
First on the communique was DCCN’s appreciation of religious leaders and da’awah organisations in educating Nigerians about religious diversity and encouraging peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
The national summit, emphasising the for a peaceful nation, called on governments and stakeholders at all levels to provide good leadership and good governance, noting doing so will be panacea for peaceful coexistence.
The leaders were urged by the national summit “to respect the rights of citizens on the freedom of religion without fear of violence and intimidation and to ensure justice, fairness and equity as instruments towards entrenching peaceful co-existence in the country,” it said.
Read details of the communique as follows:
A Communique issued at the end of the second national summit on peaceful coexistence and nation building of the Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN) at Hill Station Hotel, Jos, Plateau State between Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th Jumada Al-Thani 1441AH (6th to 9th February, 2020).
Preamble
The Da’awah Coordination Council of Nigeria (DCCN) held its second national summit from Thursday 11th to Sunday 14th Jumada Al-Thani 1441AH (6th to 9th February, 2020). The second national summit which took place at the Hill station Hotel in Jos, Plateau State had its opening ceremony chaired by Dr. Danjuma Adamu Dabo, with the Theme “LEADERSHIP & GOOD GOVERNANCE AS BEDROCK FOR PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE”.
The national summit was attended by sixty religious organisations from various geo-political zones of Nigeria including some Christian associations was declared opened by the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong on Friday 12th Jumada Al-Thani 1441AH (7th February, 2020).
The occasion was also graced by His Eminence, Alh. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni The Sultan of Sokoto, President General Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Deputy Governor Plateau State, Prof. Sunny Tyoden, Speaker, Plateau State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abok Izam, and members of the state executive council. Others included; Gbong Gwom Jos, Chairman Plateau State council of chiefs, His Majesty Da Jacob Gyang Buba, Emir of Bauchi, HRH Dr. Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu (CON), Emir of Wase (Sarkin Dutse) HRH Alh. (Dr) Muhammad Sambo Haruna and Emir of Kanam HRH Alh. Muhammad Mu’azu Muhammad and other traditional rulers.
The Guest Speakers, Professor Garba Hamidu Sharubutu, Ag Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Jos and Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama who was ably represented by Rev. Yakubu Pam (Chairman, CAN Northern Nigeria & FCT) delivered speeches on “The Responsibilities of Leadership in Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Nation Building”. The National President of the Da’awah Coordinating Council of Nigeria (DCCN) Malam Muhammad Lawal Maidoki (Sadaukin Sokoto) presented the welcome address.
The resolutions of the National Summit are as follow:
The summit appreciates the efforts of Religious Leaders and Da’awah Organizations in educating Nigerians about religious diversity and encouraging peaceful co-existence among Nigerians.
While emphasising the need to have a peaceful Nation, the national summit calls on all tiers of government and all stakeholders to provide good leaderships and good governance as panacea for peaceful coexistence. They are further urged to respect the rights of citizens on the freedom of religion without fear of violence and intimidations and to ensure justice, fairness and equity as instruments towards entrenching peaceful co-existence in the country.
The Summit also calls on the governments and various religious organizations to collaborate in the eradication of ignorance, poverty and diseases among adherents of various faiths, through human capacity development.
The summit also calls on the government to organise a national conference for all the religious leaders and the traditional rulers to brainstorm and proffer solutions to end the present security challenges and all other social vices facing the nation.
The summit also urge the government to re-empower the tradition rulers to make them more functional at their respective leadership level to help in sanitising and curbing the security menace and other social vices in their domains.
The summit calls on Religious and Traditional Leaders to further strengthen mutual respect and understanding among Nigerians with a view to strengthen peaceful coexistence and end insecurity in Nigeria.
The summit condemns in strong terms all killings by criminals in the name of religion or ethnicity and condoles with those who lose members of their family and their loved ones.
The summit recommends, as a matter of urgency, to the Federal and State governments to enforce the Forest Rangers and consider the digitalization Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping for easy control and tracking criminal activities in our forests.
The summit calls on NIREC to use resources at their disposal to promote useful coexistence among different religious and ethnic groups as well as building the capacity of our youth at the grass root level.
The summit calls on all the various religious leaders and all Nigerians to embrace love, tolerance and understanding. They are further urged to eschew all forms of hate speeches, mudslinging and misguided utterances, as a way forward out of our current insecurity, fear, arson and instability.
The social media users should be responsible and desist from writing and posting all sort of inflammatory statements. The summit calls on the law enforcement agencies concern to be alive to their responsibilities by stemming this ugly trend by bringing to book any culprits.
The summit calls on the print and electronic media to desist from broadcasting and publishing any programme or write up that jeopardizes the peaceful co-existence of the country. And also advised to always carryout investigating journalism, by verifying their facts before going to the press.
The Federal and State Governments are called upon by the summit to embark on aggressive critical development of infrastructures, such as roads, health facilities, education and power to improve on the standard of living of Nigerians.
The Council notes with concern that, the Muslim rights to religion and conscience as citizens of this nation are threatened continuously especially as it affects the dress code of our women. The right of a muslimah to wearing hijab is unalienable; this right is Allah’s given right which is compulsory and which all muslimah must adhere to.
DCCN also views with concern the removal of Religious Studies in our primary and secondary schools as a step that portends grave danger to the next generation as this removal of Godliness will naturally lead to religious intolerance, violence, anarchy and other forms of Satanism.
The Council calls on all religious organizations to imbibe the culture of building the capacity of their members through regular trainings, workshops seminars etc.as key strategies towards developing networks of deliverable capabilities in Da’awah for optimal results to bring about cooperation, collaboration, peaceful coexistence and progress to the nation.
Communications and use of new media for Da’awah vision management are key tools to maximising results. Therefore, the Council advises all member organisations to key into it.
The summit further calls on all the member organisations and other Da’awah groups to embrace the need for new media utilisation in resources mobilisation and accountability.
The summit alls on Federal Government to review its security strategies towards ensuring adequate coverage of all flash points, soft targets and other vulnerable areas in order to incessant attacks in those areas.
The summit recognises and appreciates the efforts of the Governor of Plateau state, Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong, for bringing peace back to Jos, and also the key role played by His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, The Sultan of Sokoto, The Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, all the Christians Leaders and Christian organisations and other stake holders for their contributions towards achievement of peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
As a way conclusion, DCCN calls on all Muslims to be law abiding citizens to eschew violence.
DCCN Thanks the Plateau State Govt. and the people of the state for their support and hospitality.
Mallam Muhammad Lawal Maidoki, Sadaukin Sakkwato, President DCCN
Engr. Ahmad M.Y. Jumba, MNSE National Sectretary General DCCN
