No fewer than 100 participants from faith-based and community organisations; women, community, youth groups including hunters, and security agencies on Thursday walked to reinforce their support for peace in Kalmai, Billiri Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The one-day walk was organised under the Faith for Peace project (F4P) co-funded by the European Union and Bread for the World implemented by TEKAN Peace Desk and Centre for Community Actions for Peace and Development.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the Kalmai walk was done simultaneously in Billiri town. Recall that in the last three days starting from Tuesday similar engagement held in Kwami Gari and Malam Sidi in Kwami Local Government Area, on Wednesday, Deba and Kunuwal witnessed similar walks with hundreds of participants expressing their commitment to freedom of religion.
Our correspondent reports that the participants walked no fewer than four kilometers relishing music sounds, pasting handbills, enlightening passers-by from Down Town Resort, to Maraba Kashere, back to the resort.
Speaking before the commencement of the walk at Down Town Resort, Kalmai, TEKAN Peace Desk’s Process Holder, Blessing Hamman, commended the commitment of the participants over the last 20 months, adding that the walk was to carry along those who do not know the organisation’s activities.
She noted that the walk is expected to ensure togetherness, love and solidarity, stressing that every human being should be conversant with their freedom.
Hamman said, “This is the 20th month since we commenced this activity implementation in this community; we have 10 months left. We must be United, because united we stand; divided we fall. We have religious freedoms; we must support each other.”
While urging the ambassadors of peace to seek to protect and promote religious rights, Hamman added “We must strive to promote religious rights. Those we couldn’t reach, we have chosen to target them by reaching out to them through this walk.”
She harped the need to respect cultures and traditions assuring, “We are part of the culture, so we are not against any culture and tradition.”
A representative of Christian Association of Nigeria, Gombe State branch, Clement Garba, lauded TEKAN and her collaborators for its choice of Kalmai to benefit from the intervention, “We are happy that this organisation is advocating for peace. We have gone out to urge the people to be mindful of their utterance, to show the needed respect to people’s faith. We appreciate TEKAN Peace Desk F4P, what they are doing is very important no country can progress without peace,” he added.
Also, Sarki Yarma Kalmai, Alhaji Umar Saleh, who doubles as Deputy Chairman Tangale Community Development Association expressed his excitement at the groups interest in his community.
He said, “If people of Jos (TEKAN Peace Desk) hadn’t come here, what are we going to do? At the moment both Muslims and Christians including pagans are living in peace and we are grateful to them for their efforts.”
On his part, District Head of Kalmai, Zubairu Ahmadu, who was represented by Sarki Samari Kalmai, Richard Yusuf, called on residents to embrace peaceful co-existence, adding that “If we all truly understand peace, there won’t be unnecessary violence. We have various religions here; so there is need to respect others.”
Ahmadu lauded the intervention being implemented by TEKAN Peace Desk saying, “We really enjoyed their activities in the past 20 months and we are really appreciative of their gestures.”
Compiled by Chima Azubuike.
