By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
To mark the 2024 World international Peace Day celebration , UN Harmony Week Winner, Pastor Dr. Yuhanna Buru, Honors Monarchs and Ambassadors in Kaduna Communities for Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and Tolerance
Pastor Dr.Buru,who is the the winner of the United Nations World international Interfaith Harmony Week 2022, has honored community leaders and peace ambassadors in Kaduna State for their service to humanity and efforts to promote peace and unity within their communities.
Pastor Dr yohanna Buru who is equally The national president of Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundation of Nigeria honoured 3 peace ambassadors in Barnawa, Tudun Wada and Kakuri Gwari/Makera communities all of Kaduna South Local Government Area of the state.
In his address, Pastor Dr. Buru, said the event was to honour some citizens identified as peace builders who have and are still playing critical roles in maintaining peaceful coexistence their different communities.
The awardees include: the District Head of Barnawa, Alhaji Kabiru Zubairu for strengthening relationship and peaceful coexistence among the diverse religious and ethnic groups in his domain, Sarkin Gabas, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim who pushed for the establishment of Security Outpost in Tudun- Wada, and Mallam Yusuf Abbas of Kakuri Gwari/Makera for their efforts at peace building in their communities.
Pastor Buru called for more hands on deck to entrench lasting peace in Kaduna State.
Responding after receiving his award, Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim,the Sarkin Gabas of Tudun Wada, Kaduna, recognized for his unwavering commitment to fostering peace and unity in his community.
He has been honored for his efforts to steer young people away from drug abuse and other social vices while actively contributing to the establishment of a security outpost in the area.
Alhaji Gambo continues to educate residents of Kaduna on the importance of rejecting violence and crime. His peace initiatives extend to engaging women and youth in underprivileged neighborhoods, where he advocates for religious tolerance, love, and togetherness, laying the foundation for a brighter future. His work as a member of the Community Peace Observers highlights his dedication to creating lasting harmony.
The third awardee who is the Chairman of the Association of Peace builders, Mallam Yusuf Abbas, said he was grateful for the recognition.
He said the group’s office sited at the Kakuri Gwari Makera Kasuwan Monday) have enjoyed cordial relationship among it’s members and the community as both the Christians and Muslims have been living and conducting their daily activities peacefully.
Abbas said: “Here, we have Christians and Muslims who are businessmen, traders, security personnel among us who are doing whatever they can to promote peace in the community. During festivity periods like Sallah, Christmas and New Year we celebrate together, exchange pleasantries, and advice ourselves on the way forward in seeing that peace continue to reign in our communities.
“Today, I feel honoured and happy with the award. I did not know that one day someone would come here and recognize what we’re doing and honour us just like the way I have been awarded. So, I thank the organization for this honour and I promise to do more on what I have been doing.”
Mallam Abbas urged other communities in the state to emulate what the Kakuri Gwari/ Makera communities have been doing to sustain peace in it’s area. He however, cautioned that whatever others intend to do must be done in sincerity, citing their own case, where they put in their personal resources to carryout whatever programmes they intended to do.
Also speaking at the Kakuri Gwari Makera venue of the award, the Deputy Imam of Juma’at Central Mosque Kakuri, Mallam Shuaibu Adamu, said the peace being enjoyed in Kakuri among the different ethnic and religious groups in the area was achieved through dint of hard work, commitment, sincerity of purpose among others.
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