The Secretary-General of Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, Sheik Khalid Aliyu, has called on Islamic religious leaders to use Islamic values to promote peace in communities as he frowned at the use of social media by some religious leaders to propagate ideas that are harmful to society.
The cleric spoke in Jos on Monday at a one-day community introspection colloquium with the theme: “Rebranding politics of Jos using peacebuilding as a tool for growth” organized by the Jos Political Coalition Forum, JPCF.
He noted, “… Although crises have destroyed a lot of things, we will continue to preach peace among us using the values of Islam. Some people claim to be Islamic preachers but don’t know what Islam is all about. They use social media to propagate different things. It is time to wake up to preach what Islam says rather than what people think.”
Also, a former Director-General of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Yakubu Ibn Muhammad, who presented a paper on peaceful coexistence as a way of promoting socio-political development in Jos pointed out the importance of addressing the socio-economic challenges facing citizens such as unemployment and poverty.
He noted that “political environments that embrace peaceful coexistence and resolution of conflicts provide the best foundations for progress and prosperity” and called on the government to “provide adequate infrastructure and social amenities that would enhance the quality of life of the people, especially in the area of education” as he emphasized the need for “effective political representation, socio-economic development, and improved security”.
The former DG recalled with nostalgia the Jos, Plateau of the past saying, “I was born and raised in Jos. I attended missionary schools and I was in the minority but I wasn’t discriminated against because of my tribe or religion. This is the Plateau I am wishing to see.”
In her remark, Hajiya Khadija Alkasim advocated for the promotion of entrepreneurship and small-scale businesses to address the issue of unemployment and poverty and stressed the need for community participation which is crucial to the development of societies.
One of the conveners of the event, Baba Akawu, a former member of the National Assembly, said the essence of the programme was to “sensitize the people on how to ensure the development of the community,” and stressed the need for all stakeholders to cooperate for the betterment of the community.
However, the Forum called for unity and love for one another irrespective of differences to achieve sustainable development in Plateau State.
