By our Reporter
As Nigeria continues to grapple with the issue of Separatists agitation in parts of the country, the Director, Institute For Peace, Conflict and Development Studies, Enugu State University of Science and Technology(ESUT, professor Felix Asogwa, has advocated convocation of Regional level peace dialogue at the different geo-political zones of country, especially in regions witnessing heightened agitation such as the Southeast and Southwest parts of the nation.
He said:”This should be the first step towards the National Peace dialogue to consolidate on the outcome of these regional level peace dialogues.
According to him,”The peace dialogue sessions should be a form of truth and reconciliation commission that would address the underlying causes of the separatist agitation and involving all competing interests including the state and non-state actors.
“In other words, the agitators should be listened to and their grievances collated and addressed. The authorities should be interested in identifying and addressing the fundamental root causes of the agitation” he stated.
Asogwa, a Professor of political science, International Relations and Strategic Studies gave the advice weekend while delivering the 42nd Inaugural lecture of the Enugu state university of Science and Technology ESUT entitled ” From Confrontation to Consensus:” Re-engaging the Separatist Agitators for Sustainable Peace in the Nigerian State”.
He noted that it was clear that the strategies adopted by government in response to the separatist agitations have not yielded the needed result of terminating the agitations.
Professor Asogwa therefore, posited that there is urgent need to re-examine the existing strategies for mitigating the threats to peace and security in Nigeria.
The ESUT peace institute Director further stressed that many people concur that the government’s military response has further popularized these agitators, and has been counter productive.
He opined that the gap in the existing strategies, which has been predominantly military in nature and new pathways towards sustainable peace and security needed to be explored.
The inaugural lecturer suggested consensus building in managing separatist agitation in Nigeria, stating that the first step in this direction should be the release of the leaders and members of the separatist movements in detention in Nigeria, especially the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafran (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his followers.
“This is in line with several court rulings and calls by different leaders in Nigeria especially in Southeast (Asogwa, 2023). This will no doubt douse the tension and create the necessary stable environment for dialogue”
“Past efforts aimed at quelling the increasing spate of agitation have focused attention on the fall outs of the agitations rather than the causes (Asogwa, 2023).
” Therefore, the engagement of the agitators directly, rather the military option, which has tended to radicalize them remain the most viable option to explore” he maintained.
“These arrangements should be guaranteed by the leaders of the different regions in Nigeria especially the state governments” he stated.
” Thus, the following are the core conclusions we share for consensus building for managing separatist agitation in Nigeria.
“National Peace Dialogue, insisting that “the first step in this direction is the release of the leaders and members of the separatist movements in detention in Nigeria, especially the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafran (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and his followers.
“This is in line with several court rulings and calls by different leaders in Nigeria especially in Southeast (Asogwa, 2023). This will no doubt douse the tension and create the necessary stable environment for dialogue.
Also, professor Asogwa, called for the implementation of 2014 National Conference (CONFAB) Report, pointing out “the national constitutional conference also known as 2014 National Conference (CONFAB), was held in 2014 under president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
” The CONFAB represents the most important negotiated instrument in the history of Nigeria which aimed at providing the consensual basis for the country’s existence.
He added that: “The conference was convoked to address the various national issues and chart a new course for national integration and development.
“There is urgent need for the holistic implementation of the report of the conference as a panacea for sustainable peace in Nigeria.
” The implementation will mitigate the basic foundation of separatism in Nigeria which is the imposed character of the Nigerian state. The conference report is the outcome of national dialogue among the various ethnic nationalities, and other interests on how to co-exist as individuals and groups in the Nigerian state.
“It addresses the issues of marginalization, imbalance in the federation, resource governance and other critical national issues that provide the basis for separatist agitation.
” Therefore, implementing the report will no doubt provide a new basis for national consensus and thereby erasing the lingering agitation for separation by the different groups.
He equally stressed the need for review of Military Involvement in Internal Security in Nigerian, stating that “as part of national dialogue on managing separatist agitation in Nigeria, there is urgent need to review the use of the military institution in our internal security management.
” The military by their training are not suitable for handling internal security challenges such as separatist agitation.
Professor Asogwa averred thst “The over application of force by the military usually escalates rather than de-escalate the situation as such coercive measures by the military usually result in the radicalization of the agitation (Asogwa, 2009).
” This is bountifully illuminated in the IPOB agitation with the emergence of the “unknown Gun Men”, “the Eastern security Network (ESN)”, etc. which have compounded the existing security situation (Asogwa, 2022).
“Where necessary, the use of local security arrangement should be explored for managing the security breaches arising from the activities of the separatist agitators. In this regard, the use of community policing should be encouraged.
” This will minimize the excessive redeployment of force and further escalation of the conflict as evidentially shown in the various instances in the Southeast region of Nigeria (Asogwa, 2024).
In his remark at the occasion, Enugu state governor, Peter Mbah, represented by his Deputy, Barrister Ifeanyi Ossai, said that the intellectual discuss was superb, and truly proffered solution to the issue of separatism agitation in Nigeria, describing professor Asogwa, as a renowned world class scholar.
He however, challenge ESUT professors, to rise up and engage in meaningful research work that could help advancing the economy of the state, saying they could also do something novel in the area of the huge coal deposit in the state.
The governor, said through determination and commitment, the university management could transform the school to a world class ivory tower such as Harvard.
Our Correspondent writes that the colourful ceremony, held at the Peter Mbah, Auditorium, ESUT Agbani, was attended by dignitaries from across Nigeria and diaspora, among them, academia from various universities, captains of industry, religious and traditional ruler
