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Kukah, Global Peace Task Religious Leaders On Nation Building

Published

2 years ago

June 24, 2023

Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and a group, Global Peace Foundation have decried the situation where Nigerians lived with mental challenges and called on government to provide support systems that would bring succour in such cases.

Speaking at the Catholic Resource Centre, Durumi Abuja, during a one-day conference on ‘Trauma Care, Social Cohesion and the Role of Religious Leaders as Agents of Nation Building,’ Kukah who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event noted that virtually all Nigerians are traumatized considering that they live in a traumatized environment.

He said that Nigerians were challenged with mental health at various stages and emphasized the need for support systems from both the government, CSOs, and anyone who can provide it.

According to him, “the sense of community has been suspended; fundamental issues like trust have become scarce commodities largely because of what the society has become.”

He called for the aggregate of interest of values for the state to resolve all contradictions, stressing that banditry is one of the most terrible things that has happened to the nation with priests and cleric across religions being targeted by kidnappers in the country as the church is now in solidarity with the nation in its battle with insurgency.

He called on all victims to retain their state of sanity and put bitterness behind them.

The Country Director, of Global Peace Foundation Nigeria (GPFN), Rev. John Joseph Hayab, called for the collaboration of religious leaders with CSOs and other stakeholders towards enhancing the sustenance of peace in Nigeria.

He noted that the religious leaders have a role to play in nation-building, urging them to rise to the occasion and use their God-given platforms to provide care, preach social cohesion, and contribute to peaceful coexistence in the country.

The Country Director also spoke at the Catholic Resource Centre, Durumi Abuja, during a one-day conference on “Trauma Care, Social Cohesion and the Role of Religious Leaders as Agents of Nation Building”.

The program was organized by Nigerian KAICIID Fellows in collaboration with Global Peace Foundation Nigeria, Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace, the Interfaith Mediation Centre, and O-Trauma Victims Initiative.

Hayab felicitated and identified with all victims of the numerous traumatic experiences in the country particularly at the hands of bandits, kidnappers, and terrorists.

He lamented that people have lost touch with their common humanity and that it is only by embracing their common humanity that true and lasting peace could be found, stressing that it was the reason why Global Peace Foundation Nigeria started preaching that human beings are members of one family under God, irrespective of any difference.

Rev. Hayab stressed the need for interfaith collaboration in the quest for social cohesion and nation-building, calling on religious leaders to collectively confront and address the challenges being faced by society by providing shelter for the traumatized people to lean on.

“Trauma and other security challenges faced by people in our societies are human experiences that require religious collaborations to tackle them. Unfortunately, religion, ethnicity, and other lines of the divide have encroached into our humanity with detrimental effects, faithful of all religions should collaborate to ensure sanity in society,” he said.

He called on religious leaders and CSOs to continue in their efforts of collaboration and building a network of peacebuilders to salvage the nation and urged that peacebuilding engagements should go beyond town hall meetings to the grassroots and local communities to promote love, peace and tolerance, respect and civic responsibilities among rural dwellers.

News

Grassroots To Global Podium: Edo Sports Commission Marks Enabulele’s First Year In Office

Published

6 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Editor

The Indoor Sports Hall in Benin City came alive on Wednesday as the Edo State Sports Commission rolled out the drums to celebrate the first anniversary in office of its Executive Chairman, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele. Management, staff, coaches and athletes gathered in an atmosphere charged with pride, reflection and optimism.

The colourful ceremony drew executives and members of various sports associations, officials of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), coaches, athletes and other key stakeholders in Edo sports.

In her welcome address, the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. A. P. Amenze, praised Hon. Enabulele for what she described as focused and purposeful leadership. She said the past year had seen renewed confidence, discipline and energy return to the state’s sports ecosystem.

Adding excitement to the event were exhibition bouts and demonstrations by the Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo and Judo associations, staged in honour of the Executive Chairman.

Speaking for SWAN Edo State, Chairman Comrade Kehinde Osagiede commended Hon. Enabulele’s open-door leadership style and consistent support for sports development. He noted that the Commission had effectively driven Governor Monday Okpebholo’s “Catch Them Young” policy through practical grassroots programmes that identify and groom young talents across the state.

In recognition of his contributions to sports development and media relations, Comrade Osagiede conferred the Patronship of SWAN Edo State on Hon. Enabulele and presented him with a special anniversary card.

Goodwill messages followed from Executive Directors of the Commission, including Hon. Frank Ilaboya (Edo North), Coach Baldwin Bazuaye, MON (Edo South), Barr. Anthony Ikuenobe (Edo Central), and Mrs. Sabrina Chikere, Executive Director, Sports Development and Operations. Representatives of coaches, athletes and sports associations also took turns to acknowledge the progress recorded under the current leadership.

In his stewardship address, Hon. Enabulele expressed gratitude to Governor Monday Okpebholo and Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa for the trust placed in him, noting that their backing and shared vision had driven the Commission’s achievements.

He highlighted Team Edo’s third-place finish at the 9th National Youth Games in Asaba, where the state recorded its best-ever outing with 79 medals—33 gold, 18 silver and 28 bronze—reinforcing Edo’s reputation as a national sports powerhouse.

The Chairman also pointed to the impact of inclusive and grassroots sports programmes, citing Favour Ojeabu, a visually impaired para-cyclist who won three gold medals to emerge Africa’s champion at the African Track Para-Cycling Championship in Egypt.

Other milestones listed included outstanding performances by Edo para powerlifters on the international stage, historic achievements in cricket, weightlifting, cycling, judo and deaf athletics, as well as structural reforms such as the repositioning of Bendel Insurance FC and deeper investment in grassroots sports development.

Cultural performances added colour and tradition to the celebration, as stakeholders closed the event united in their assessment of the past year as a truly transformative period for sports development in Edo State.

News

Otuaro Tasks Media On Objective Reportage

Published

15 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Editor

The Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Dr. Dennis Otuaro has charged media practitioners particularly members of the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum to promote ethical journalism through their reportage.

He gave the charge in Warri on Wednesday during the 2nd Annual Ijaw Media Conference organised by the Ijaw Publishers’ Forum (IPF).

Represented by Princewill Binebai, spokesman, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Otuaro while stating that the Niger Delta stories have been told in such a way that is quite different from what is obtainable in the real sense, said this, IPF must do everything possible to correct.

The administrator added: “I am happy that Ijaw journalists have boldly come out together to champion the Ijaw struggle in a very dynamic perspective”.

“The Ijaw story was misrepresented over the years, but IPF’s emergence had corrected this error and the story is gradually changing for better.”

Otuaro, however, challenged Ijaw media practitioners to be objective, truthful, accurate and fearless in their reportage to correct many years anomalies of the Ijaw struggle.

He admonished members of IPF to see themselves as brothers and love one another in the discharge of their activities to achieve a common goal.

News

Police Confirm Edo Tanker Explosion, say No Casualty

Published

15 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Editor

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed tanker explosions that rocked Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.

The Command’s Police Publice Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, who confirmed the incident via the phone, said the explosion occurred at about 6:30 p.m. following the fall of a fuel tanker along the road.

Ikoedem said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at about 6:30 p.m. following the fall of a fuel tanker along the road.

She explained that spilled fuel seeped into underground tunnels, which later ignited and caused three explosions in different parts of the Auchi community.

According to her, officers from the Auchi Divisional Police Headquarters and the Area Command were mobilised to the affected areas and successfully cordoned them off to prevent loss of lives.

She added: “No casualty was recorded. Our men on ground were able to cordoned the affected areas.”

It was gathered that three separate explosions rocked the town simultaneously in different parts, which led to properties worth millions of naira destroyed.

A resident who does not want his name in print said via the telephone that the blasts occurred along Igbei Road, Igbo Shade, and along the Auchi–Okene Road, close to Winners Junction.

The resident, who alleged the explosions appeared to have been coordinated, called for a thorough investigation into the incident to prevent future occurrences.

Calls put across to Mr. Monday Edogiawere, Chairman, Red Cross, Edo State, were not picked.