In Abuja, Nigerians and the international community gathered yesterday with the world, lighting candles in commemoration of Rwanda’s Genocide Victims, the Tutsis, at the University of Abuja, Nigeria.

The event which held at the university’s Management Faculty auditorium saw many Nigerians, hundreds of the university student, diplomatic envoys, and the Rwandan community in Abuja pay homage to the over a million victims of Rwandan genocide via keynote addresses, video testimonials from survivors of the genocide and the new Rwanda’s message of “remember, unite, and renew.”

Addressing attendees Ambassador of Rwanda to Nigeria, Mr. Stanislas Kamanzi said the remembrance is to honour the memory of the victims, and pay tribute to their sacrifices which was not made in vain.

He says Rwanda having built considerable capacity to take part in peacekeeping missions is at the vanguard with likeminded nations to advocate for innovative frameworks against genocidal acts and the protection of civilians.

Represented at the occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria, Mr. Geoffery Onyeama, says Nigeria and Rwanda will continue to pursue regional political integration to deal with existing crisis situation across Africa.

He also called on African nations to break away from the shackles of their colonial past that often pave way for exploitation and take necessary steps to engender exchanges that will eventually consolidate the gains of peaceful co-existence.

Expressing its solidarity with Rwanda, Ambassador of Venezuela to Nigeria, David N. V. Caraballo, notes the continuation of the commemoration is crucial to engendering solidarity, partnership and respect between countries and between peoples of the world.
Keynote speaker and a military UN Peacekeeping officer at the time of the genocide, Rear Admiral Sanmi Alade (rtd) while commending Rwanda’s sheer willpower to triumph from the ashes of the ethnic cleansing to become a “bright hope of Africa” tasked the world to address the spread of genocide ideologies pedaled in many countries by rogues ruling political elites who seek to benefit from the division of the citizenry.

Nigeria, he says can learn from the Rwandan experience through unity building and social cohesion amongst the people.

The country, he stresses must avoid all forms of hate speech, fake news, ethnic nationalism, and religious bigotry damaging her unity, and preach unity, reconciliation and positive nation-building. These messages, he emphasized, must begin from the hinterlands.
“Our society is not 100 per cent educated. Many people are don’t have access to the media or organized conferences. When a leader goes down there to incite the people, it takes the same leader to refute what he has said. Such acts must be stopped.”

Reflecting on the lessons of the event and its impact to Nigeria, students of the University of Abuja reiterate the importance of the painful history to building a united and better Nigeria.

“We have learnt that we put ethnicity into play, such horrors can also happen in Nigeria. So, we must exert every means possible to avoid it,” states 400 level History Student, and Vice President of the Student Historical Society Organization, Vivian Oveba.

For 400 level Public Administration Student, Obunka Charles, the lesson is unity as a people, and of purpose. The theme today states, ‘remember, unite and renew.’ It is a big lesson to Nigeria. Today, we hope to pass the gospel of ‘one people’ ‘unity’; to be the big brother we are to Africa, to ourselves.”

“Nigerians need to unite to develop. We have to stop acts of tribalism, starting from the grassroots to achieve our goal,” said President of the Faculty of Education, UNIABUJA, Musa Thomas.

“Today, we are cautioning ourselves to sit-up to prevent this type of event from happening in the future, particularly in Nigeria. Our students are learning first-hand that human character is such that emits hatred. You can teach people that hatred isn’t beneficial, that’s what we have taught our youth today,” concludes Vice Chancellor of UniAbuja, Professor Michael Adiku.

In marking the event, two keynote addresses were delivered by Rear Admiral Alade, and Dr. Philip Afaha, Head of the Department of History & International Relations; and a dance performance highlighting the importance of unity over conflict.

Events ended with the lighting of candles by dignitaries, and international communities in honour of the genocide victims.

https://www.akelicious.net/2019/04/nigeria-must-shun-hate-speech-ethnicity.html