El-Rufai Meets With Fulani Leaders, Sues for Peace

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has asked Fulani leaders to do their utmost best to ensure peace in the state.

He also called on them to ensure that their children are educated.

The governor spoke wednesday during a meeting with Ardos (Fulani chiefs) from the 32 emirates and chiefdoms in the state at the Government House, Kaduna.

The meeting, according to a statement by spokesman of the governor, Samuel Aruwan, was part of government engagements with communities across the state.

He added that the objective of the meeting was to deepen and facilitate sustainable peace.
“We called this meeting because we need to deepen peace in our state. Peace is important and it is something we cannot compromise.

“We will continue to work assiduously for the security and peace of our communities. Everyone must reject violence because it is a destructive tool that tears communities apart and retards all human development.” Aruwan quoted the governor as saying.

The governor charged the Fulani leaders to ensure that their communities embrace education, stressing that sound education is the foundation for purposeful development.

“There is no society that will progress without education. With sound education, we can train people to reject hate, shun criminality, overcome poverty and promote harmony” the statement further quoted the governor.

The governor said human development is one of the priorities of the state government, adding that government will continue to work towards building sound education and the health sectors as bedrocks for development.

He urged the Ardos to be prompt in providing useful security information to the appropriate agencies and to educate their followers on peaceful conflict resolution.

Also in her remarks, the deputy chairperson of the Kaduna State Peace Commission, Ms Priscilla Ankut, said the focus of the commission is to work towards amicable resolution of conflict in the state by way of mediation and consultative engagements.

She appealed for the cooperation of the Ardos as the commission continues its engagements with traditional, religious and community leaders for sustainable peace in Kaduna State.