An interfaith Centre for documentation, peace and reconciliation between Christians and Muslims has been inaugurated in Kaduna to make for an interaction of the two religious bodies for better understanding and the promotion of peaceful coexistence in Nigeria.
The secretary general of the National Council for Islamic Affairs, Dr Khalid Abubakar Aliyu while briefing newsmen said the center came about as a result of a visit of a joint delegation from the World Council of Churches and the Royal Ahl Al-Bayt Foundation in Nigeria three years ago to carry out an on-the-spot assessment and engage stakeholders over the incessant Muslims and Christians conflicts in Nigeria.
He noted that after a week working visit the joint delegation issued a report that contains recommendations for, among others, a centre for the documentation of truth to be jointly run by Muslims and Christians.
The secretary general explained that following consultation, a Christian and Muslim consultants were hired to do the needs assessment and get views from stakeholders on how to run the centre, stressing, “This consultant report was discussed at a meeting in Geneva by delegations from WCC, RAABF, JNI and CCN last year.
“At that Geneva meeting the structure of the centre as well as the basic activities of the centre was agreed upon.
“A timetable for the launch of the centre sometimes in March in Nigeria was also agreed upon. The board has been duly constituted and today would be inugurated by your Eminence and the president of the CCN for the processes to proceed.”
He added that the centre shall be a documentation centre for peace and reconciliation that would address issues of trauma, conflict, and peace building among many other related matters.
The centre, he said, has two ceremonial presidents, that is, Prince Ghazi, President, Royal Ahl Al-Bayt Institite for Islamic Thought and the secretary general of the World Churches Council, while the national ceremonial chairmen are Alhaji Muhammadu Saad Abubakar and President-General, JNI and Emmanuel J. Udofia, President, CCN.
The national governing board has Professor D.O.S. Noibi, Rev. Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Wushishi, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, Cardinal John Onaiyehan, Mrs. Uzoaku Julana Williams, Rt. Rev. Timothy Yahaya, Hajiya Aishat Ahmed Hassan and the secretariat as members.
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