The Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, on Friday said the citizens’ summit on national integration, peace and security embarked upon by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) “is a good platform towards providing credible and sustainable solutions to the challenges that are affecting the unity, progress and development of Nigeria.”
Speaking at the summit organised by NIPR Bauchi chapter, the governor noted that “bad governance is one of the factors responsible for the current spate of insecurity in the country.”
Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Ibrahim Kashim, the governor said good governance “is necessary for peace and security to prevail in the polity, adding that, they are required for harmonious coexistence among the people and is basic ingredient for national integration.”
“The convening of the Peace Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security by NIPR cannot have therefore come at a better time than now as there is need to examine and interrogate the threat to the existence of our great country as a united indivisible entity.
“The unity in diversity that used to characterise peaceful coexistence among the various people of the country in good old days must be restored,” he said.
In a key note address, NIPR President and chairman of the Council, Malam Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo, said, “Good communication is key to solving and resolving national issues.
“The Institute decided to come up with the citizens’ summit on national integration, peace and security with a view to doing the needful on the nature of relationship and understanding among diverse groups in the country for better and mutual understanding.
“As relations builder, NIPR has the necessary skills to bring back old days mechanism of resolving issues, by talking about current issues with a view to finding out how to solve them and that is why we came up with the idea of citizens’ summit so that our people can once again come together and utilise the opportunity positively for the benefit of all. In public relations, we speak as it is so that we can really understand the situation.”
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Jibrin Dada Chinade, said, “NIPR, as a convergence of professionals working in and out of government, playing the roles of analysing trends, predicting their consequences, counselling leaders on how best to implement planned programmes of action for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians, must be appreciated by coming up with the citizens summit on national issues.”
