The Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP), on Thursday called on the Federal Government to enhance security in crisis areas in the country to allow voters exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general election.

This is contained in communique issued at the end of the Forum’s meeting in Abuja with the theme,” 2019 Elections and National Security: The Role of Interfaith Communities.

The communiqué was signed by the forum’s Co-Chairmen, Alhaji Ishaq Sanni and Bishop Sunday Onuoha.

It noted that the security situation in some areas in the country was still “worrisome and alarming”, as such government should beef up security in such areas, so that no citizen was disenfranchised.

The forum enjoined security agencies to be neutral while discharging their duties during the forthcoming general elections.

It canvassed for massive sensitisation to ensure that all stakeholders embrace peace and eschew violence
before, during and after the elections.

The interfaith group also called on political, religious, traditional leaders and all relevant stakeholders to guard their utterances so as to avoid heating up the polity.

” All relevant stakeholders such as religious bodies, Civil Society Organizations, town unions, youth groups have critical roles to play to douse the palpable tension and ensure hitch free elections.

” Politicians should see election as a platform to serve the people and should
not instigate violence in the process.”

The forum also admonished the media to be inclusive and practice peace journalism in reporting all national issues, especially on the forthcoming elections.

It urged various communities ravaged by conflicts to embrace dialogue and resolve their differences rather than revenging and promoting circle of violence.

The interfaith forum said government should give serious attention to the challenge of climate change and come up with a workable policy to address it.

” Similarly, government should do more to control our national borders to arrest the challenge of influx of irregular aliens,” it added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDFP was established as a national interfaith and intercultural dialogue platform with support from the International Dialogue Centre in Vienna, Austria.

It was formally inaugurated on Jan. 16, 2017 in Abuja, comprising 100 Christian and Islamic leaders evenly divided, with the Sultan of Sokoto, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, as Patrons.