Professor Usman Yusuf, a former CEO of the National Health Insurance Scheme, has drawn attention to the continuous civil unrest in the North that involves ethnic groups such as the Hausas, Fulani, and Tivs. He emphasizes that it is impossible to expect the military to bring about peace on its own. He questioned the lack of religious leaders, elders, and traditional rulers—all of whom play an important role in promoting unity. He pushed for honest and open communication between the populace, stressing that the military cannot bring about peace in a community on its own.
Proposing that the responsibility for peace lies with the people, he acknowledged the military’s efforts in providing an enabling environment but urged a collective step back and a move toward de-militarizing the conflict, considering the sacrifices made by the armed forces on the battlefield.
He said in an interview with Arise TV, ”We must tell our people to have an honest conversation. The military cannot bring peace to our communities, only we can do that. There is a civil war going on in the North between the Hausas and the Fulani. Between the Hausas and the Tivs. And we expect the military to bring peace. No.
Where are our elders? Where are our traditional rulers? Where are our clerics that sold the Muslim Muslim ticket? It is us that will bring peace. The military can only provide an enabling environment. They are doing a heck of a job. They are losing men and women on the battlefield and we must step back and de-militarise this conflict.”
