By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
The leadership of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo and the Afenifere yesterday shunned the peace meeting aimed at finding lasting solution to the security challenges threatening peaceful coexistence of Nigerians.
The meeting, at the instance of the former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, which took place at Maizube Farm, Minna however had in attendance the leadership of the Mayetti Allah and their youth bodies.
The PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum, Ohanaeze and the Afenifere had last week indicated their resolve to boycott the meeting because the Miyetti Allah and the Gan Allah Fulani Development Association are associations and trade unions hence not socio-cultural platforms.
Prominent Nigerians present at the roundtable, which took place at Maizube Farm, along the Minna-Bida road include Chief Alfred Diete Spiff, King Ambassador Agbubuzu, the Emir of Minna, Dr. Umar Farouq Bahago and the Emir of Kazaure, Dr. Najib Hussain Adamu.
Others are Lt. Gen Alani Akirinade, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, Professor Ango Abdullahi, Air Vice Marshal IBM Haruna, Professor Kingsley Moghalu and one of the Ministerial designate from Niger State, Ambassador Zubairu Dada.
The convener of the meeting, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, had said the forum was brought about by the need ‘to find solutions to some of the problems we are currently experiencing as a nation particularly issues and matters around co-existence and security’.
“As indicated in my invitation letter, Nigeria is going through a period of trial amidst growing tension and resentments all over the country. There is anger in the land and the voices of reason are drowning very rapidly”.
He further said, “It is clear that the situation requires that we all live up to the expectations of a nation that puts so much value in elders and leaders”.
“We are Nigerians who share responsibility for the state of the nation. If any Forum can help in the accurate identification of the problems and solutions for a united and peaceful Nigeria let us be counted as one of such ,” he said.
The former head of state in apparent response to the absence of the PANDEF, Afenifere, Ohanaeze and the Middle Belt Forum leadership said, ‘unfortunately some of the invitees were unable to attend while some others have sent in contributions.
“Since peace building is a continuous process other fora will provide opportunities for continuous dialogue. This roundtable is not a mini National Conference or a forum for review of Nigeria’s constitution and neither would it be fixated on those issues that feed the prevailing tensions”.
General Abdulsalami Abubarkar further said, “There are matters that will doubtless appear in our discussions but they should not be allowed to distract us from the key goals of the roundtable”.
Chairman of the roundtable and former Nigeria’s representative at the United Nations, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, warned those beating the drums of war, saying, ‘‘Military approach is not solution to any conflict but dialogue remains top option’’.