A peace summit organized in Kafanchan to seek out an end to the conflict in Southern Kaduna suffered setbacks as Christian leaders within the area, who doubted the genuineness of the occasion, boycotted the summit.
Nevertheless, the peace summit still went on as scheduled with over 100 participants across religious faith, Vanguard reports.
The Kaduna chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Christian leaders from the Southern a part of Kaduna and therefore the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, was earlier scheduled to attend the peace summit in Kafanchan, Jema’a government Area of Kaduna State on Tuesday.
Friends of Southern Kaduna together with the Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission organized the summit as a part of efforts to seek out an enduring solution to the killings in Southern Kaduna.
Explaining why they didn't attend the Summit, Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association, said they boycotted because some “key stakeholders” were overlooked . The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union also asked that the summit be rescheduled to a later date. CAN in Kaduna State said they weren't a part of the design .
Chairman, Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association, Bishop Simon Peters Mutum, said all the arrangements had been completed without the involvement of a number of the critical stakeholders of Southern Kaduna that had been affected by the killings.
“The group will welcome an evidence on why the organizers of the summit decided to sideline SOKAPU and therefore the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria within the planning of the summit,” he said.
“We are, therefore, deeply concerned about who the ‘Friends of Southern Kaduna’ are and what could also be their real motives!
“We also are troubled that a peace summit are often organized for people without involving the key leaders of the people to be discussed with and about!
“So, in the maximum amount as we might like to be a part of a peace summit, we would like to understand who the organizers are and what they need to realize by this summit going by the way they planned it!
“We also want an evidence on why the leadership of SOKAPU, CAN and SKCLA were sidelined within the planning of the summit. we might have wished that the peace summit be rescheduled until all our questions are properly answered, and each key player (the youths, CDAs, traditional institution, regional groups of interest and non secular groups) are contacted, organized and carried along, which is our prayer,” he stated.
SOKAPU during a letter dated 6th September 2020 and addressed to the Chairman, Local Organizing Committee of the Peace Summit, Pastor James Novel Wuye, said they wished that they had a consultation with the conveners before the summit.
The letter, which was signed by Secretary of SOKAPU, Stephen Mallan, titled, ‘Re: Invitation to participate in peace summit for the de-escalation of the conflict in Southern Kaduna’, stated that the Central Executive Committee of SOKAPU met and exhaustively discussed on the peace summit, and now resolved as follows:
“SOKAPU appreciates this laudable initiative for a peace summit, especially at this significant period when peace has eluded most of our communities.
“That SOKAPU has accepted the invitation and is willing to participate within the peace summit. However, this invitation came once we were yet to conclude our consultations with key stakeholders in Southern Kaduna.
“Furthermore, SOKAPU had wished to possess prior consultations with the conveners before the summit. during this regard, we are kindly requesting that the summit be rescheduled to a later date to enable us to conclude all consultations. Otherwise, the summit may proceed, and that we shall be glad to be briefed about the result .”
On their part, the CAN noted that they wouldn’t participate within the summit because it lacks transparency.
A letter by the CAN’s Secretary within the state, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, and addressed to the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Pastor James Wuye, insisted that the Christian body can’t guarantee the genuineness of the peace summit.
According to the letter, CAN won't support conflict entrepreneurs to use the horrible situation in Kaduna State to their advantage.
The letter read, “At about 5:00 pm on 1st September 2020, we received your letter dated 28th August 2020 with the reference number PSC VOL 1/28/20 under the above-referred title.
“The letter invites us to participate during a peace summit ‘to dialogue with relevant stakeholders in Southern Kaduna…’ organized by “Friends of Southern Kaduna” together with the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC).
“Attached to the letter was the agenda of the summit during which our Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, was scheduled to mention the opening prayer at the said summit.
“While we many thanks for the invitation, we discover the organization of the proposed summit as inappropriate whilst CAN Kaduna State has been i
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