The Ozubulu Massacre; We Must Heed the Call to “Silence the Guns”

                           The Ozubulu Massacre; We Must Heed the Call to “Silence the Guns”

                                                 14/08/2017. Chibu Ndubuisi

Peace be to you.

Like a horror movie, on the 7/08/2017 at St Philip's Catholic Church Ozubulu in Anambra state Nigeria, worshipers were assassinated by unknown gunmen. May the souls of the departed rest in peace, Amen.

The 50^th Anniversary Solemn Declaration “E” on Peace and Security of the African Union advises all African Nations “not to bequeath the burden of conflict to the next generation of Africans and undertake to end all wars in Africa by 2020”. The Sustainable Development Goals ‘16’ articulates a world of peace, justice and strong institutions. The Statute at the United Nation headquarters depicts a man putting his swords in to ploughshares, explaining a verse in the bible book of Isaiah 10; 4, when nations will beat their swords in to ploughshare and there will be no more wars.

The idea of “Silencing the Guns” is part of a larger narrative of hope in the future, by planting the seeds of peace through articulation of impactful policies across the continent.

The late President of Nigeria Umaru Musa Yar Adua took concrete steps in “Silencing the Guns” with his amnesty programme aimed at demobilization and reintegration of militants in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Many state governors equally carried out demobilization exercises to rid their states of small arms and light weapons.

The Punch Editorial Newspaper of 9/08/2017 raised an alarm that "It is estimated that 70 per cent of the 10 million illegal weapons in circulation in West Africa are in Nigeria. During police raids of some criminal hideouts in Anambra, Edo and Rivers states in 2013, more than 8,741 arms, 7,014 pieces of ammunition and 164 loaded magazines in AK 47 rifles were retrieved. The same year, assorted arms and ammunition, including AK47 rifles, General Purpose Machine Guns, rockets, rocket propellers/launchers, 5,830 AK 47 ammunition and 1,135 rounds of ammunition for GPMG were on display as exhibits in the trial of three suspected kidnappers in a High Court at Onitsha. Fulani herdsmen have suddenly replaced their bows and arrows with assault rifles as part of their ornaments".  No wonder the incidence at Ozubulu vindicating such assertion, Boko Haram is another menace and other senseless cult rivalry wars in the country.

What type of behavior and education are we rewarding and promoting? Machiavellian principle teaches that “it is better to be feared than to be loved” but an education of peace teaches that “we cannot learn to live in peace by killing each other” hence, we must first “Silence the Guns” and start promoting ideas of peace.

The Agenda 2063 of the African Union calls on all of us to “Silence the Guns” by supporting and investing in more productive values that binds us all together. The game of peace is bigger than the teams of war. The teams of war that find glory in diminishing others, are equally diminishing themselves. One of the basic lesson of peace is that wars never solved any conflict in the long run.

An education for peace is needed to serve as a counter narrative to despair. This type of education is an instrument of hope and not despair, instrument of productivity and not pillage, instrument of renaissance and not despondency, instrument of inclusion and not exclusion an education with value entrenching variables that cements our common humanity on a shared value of the sanctity of life.

"Silencing the Guns" is about rallying thousands towards a mission to achieve a shift in mindset.

Professor Carol Dweck talks about “Fixed and Growth mindset” while fixed mindset is static, Growth mindset is organic and adapting to the demands needed to grow. Africa is rising and to rise to our most cherished Eldorado we must invest in instruments of productivity and not destruction like the guns.

Life is sacred. Murder is a crime and equally a sin.  Harvard Kennedy School writes that “empowerment begins with knowledge, but what you do with that knowledge is what actually affects people lives”.

Let’s be empowered to "Silence the Guns" with purposeful policies of inclusion and promoting education for peace wherever we might be. As of the time of putting down this note, Assemblies of God church in Onitsha, Anambra state was attacked by gunmen and people were killed. lets intensify this campaign to "Silence the Guns" .

Peace be with you.

Chibu Ndubuisi is a Peace Building Agent. A Rising Africa Believer: contact. getwithchibu@hotmail.com.   blog chibundubuisi@blogspot.com