NAN-H-32
Campaign
By Tukur Muntari
Kano, July 12, 2017 (NAN) A Kano-based NGO, Centre for Information Technology and Developmen, (CITAD) has called on the media to intensify campaign against hate and dangerous speeches in the country.
Mr Isah Garba, the CITAD Senior Programme Officer (Peace Project), made the call while addressing journalists in Kano on Wednesday.
He said the call was necessary in view of the significant role the media played in the promotion of peace and unity, not only in Nigeria but also across the globe.
“As an NGO, we feel it is necessary to call on the media to intensify campaign in that direction because of the threat posed by such hate speeches to peace and unity in the country,”he said.
Garba also called on religious leaders to sensitise their followers on the dangers associated with hate and dangerous speech in the country.
According to him, religious leaders have the dual responsibility of sensitising their followers on the importance of peace and the rationale of multi ethnicity and religion in religious perspective.
“They should also intensify effort in sensitising their members on how to handle provocative statements in accordance with the teachings of religion not on the basis of presumption.”
He said based on the NGO’s findings in June, there were no fewer than 852 hate speech items recorded across in the country.
“In terms of categories of such speeches, ethnicity and religion occupy the highest space in number of hate speeches with 44 per cent and 28.0 per cent respectively.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to take proactive measures to check the ugly trend to ensure peace and unity in the country.
The senior programme officer also called on the Federal Government to constitute a panel of inquiry to investigate the recent crisis in Mambilla, in Taraba.
He said the call became necessary to ensure that the culprits were brought to book, to serve as a deterrent to others. (NAN)
MTM/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed