Peace and Conflict Resolution in Nigeria.

Question;

Write 3 Current conflicts Nigeria is facing Presently and suggest best ways the 3 problems can be solve using accredible scholars method of solving Conflicts?

Introduction;

We can't talk about conflict without suggesting a way to solve the problem.

In regards to that, Cinflict arise from the pursuit of divergent interest,goals and aspirations by individuals and groups in defined social environments. Changes in social and physical

environment,such as contestable access to new political positions or perceptions of new resources arising from development in the physical environment are fertile grounds for conflicts involving individuals and groups who are interested in using these new resources to achieve their goals.

DEFINITION OF CONFLICTS;

A)    (Closer1956:8)

Define conflict as a struggle over values and claims to scarce status,power and resources in

which the aims of the opponents are to neutralise injure or eliminate rivals.

B)   MaxWeber(1954)

Defines conflict as a person group attempts or succeeds in carrying out its will by overcoming

the resistance of the other groups or persons and there interest in a situation of scarcity of

resources.

C)  (Sandole1993:6)

A conflict is a dynamic phenomenon which consist of five stages initiation,escalation,controlled maintenance abatement and termination or resolution.

D) (Wallenstein2002:6)

Conflict can be define as the manifestations of hostile attitude in face of conflicting interest

between individuals,groups or states.

Since we have understood and know what a conflict is meant according to some credible

Scholars,we are now going to to discuss 3 Problems of conflict Nigeria as a Nation is facing Presently;

1. BookHaramConflict

2. EthnicityConflict

3. PastoralandFarmersofAgricProductsconflicts

1.BookHaramConflicts;

A group called Boko Haram began in July 2009 in Nigeria,Since they started their operation,

the North Easthern part of Nigeria,People in especifically,Maiduguri State,have been at the

receiving end,the boko haram people will just go into any community in Maiduguri and bomb and attack the innocent masses including Fathers,Mothers and children,destroying properties of

people.They have one time kidnapped the chibok girls secondary school students,which turn in the news of the world on the bring back our girls protest by Nigerians all over the world,and till today they have been kidnapping and hijacking trailers with company goods and using it for

there own personal consumption.

This has been a called on the government of Nigeria to bring the Book Haram terrorist to book,because thousands of lives were lost,business experience losses,and many people are still

afraid of going to Maiduguri to do service,business,school and others and the book Haram have not just deal with the north east of Nigeria but their activities is going rampant by the day all

over Nigeria and to other neighboring countries that share boundary with Nigeria,So the

government need to look for ways to break down the terrorist to book.

2. EthnicityConflict

Ethnicity refers to share cultural characteristics such as language,ancestry,practices and

beliefs.Ethnicity Problem is as old as man on earth,and this is one of the problem Nigeria is

facing at the moment currently.Nigeria happens to be a country that has alot of languages,and each tribe has its own way of doing things and living lives and the customs and traditional

values of each tribe varies and because of that,we use to have tribal conflicts among people of thesame states.For example; A Ngas man in plateau state will be fighting with a fellow indigene. the Berom man simply because of greed and selfishness,His brother is doing well and he is not doing well. Sometimes the problem of ethnicity enlarges itself from group of two to a crises between two communities sharing boundary together.The government of Nigeria needs to see into this ethnicity problem,since we are one Nigeria,we are not suppose to be having such problems escalating,but is so unfortunate that its kept revolving in Nigeria yearly like a routine and this is not good for us as a nation.

3. Pastoral and Farmers of Agric Products conflicts;

The farmers in Nigeria are people who love farming in their lands in other to feed their families and sell some for profit and in the other way we also have the pastoral Farmers who are known as the Fulani Herdsmen today,They rare cows to earn money and feed their families. But always lack of understanding between them brings about a conflict.they are both important to Nigerians because land farmers givesus food and Pastoral farmers gives us meat.But there is always lack of understanding between them that brings them conflicts,for example;

A land farmer will go and farmed his land,then a Fulani herdsmen will carry his cows to the farm of the farmer and makes his cows to eat what the farmer has suffered to plant,so the coming

morning the farmer will visit his/her farm and discover that their farmland planted seeds have

been demolished and destroyed by the Fulaniherds men cows,the farmers will then go back and agreed among themselves to attack the Fulaniherds men and if they attacked,the Fulani

herdsmen will also not agree,so they also will within few days also backfire the attack against the farmers in their communities and they will not stop taking their crops to eat the farmers seed or plants.This kept happening day by day in different part of Nigeria and there is a need for the

government to look into it before its escalate and become problem in the entire country daily.

Methods to use to resolve the above mentioned Conflicts

Before we resolve the problem or suggest ways to resolve the problem,we need to know what conflict Resolution is;

i) According to(Uchendu 1965 and Anibo 1988)

Conflict resolution involves the mobilisation of cultural expectations,if not imperatives,such as African hospitality commensality,reciprocityand belief system

ii) According to Wilmot and Hocker(1988:48-49)

It is the clarification of communication and checking of perceptions

1. Boko Haram Conflicts Resolution;

For me the best way to resolve the problem of bokoHaram terrorist in Nigeria is through

''Adjudication''.The term Adjudication was suggested by(Morris,nd)and is a term that can

include decision making by a judge in court,by an administrative tribunal or quasi-judicial

tribunal,especially appointed commission or by an arbitrator.The reason why I choose

Adjudication is because Nigeria government have been trying to negotiate with them but upto today is not working,So the best way is to file a case against bokoHaram and if they refused to

come to court,the Nigerian government should give order to the Airforce of Nigeria Army to take jets and destroy the entire forest they are hiding in Maiduguri and also send landarmy to

surround the forest and let them kill everything they see in that place.

If the Nigerian government take this action it will bring an end to the terrorist group and also send a warning to other terrorist groups like the Niger deltaMilitants and others planing to start theirs

2. Ethnicity Conflict Resolution;

For ethnicity conflict resolution in Nigeria,the best way to solve it is through''Negotiation''According to(Mail,Rams bothan and woodhouse 1992 and 21 in 2005)

Negotiation involves communication usually govern by pre-establish procedures,between representatives of parties involved in a conflict or dispute.

For Nigeria to solve ethnicity problem Nigerian government need to call the attention of the languages in conflicts and tell them to negotiate within themselves so that there will be

understanding withinthem,in other to settle the ethnicity conflict admits them.As they

negotiate they will keep there differences of customs and values of traditions aside and

embrace peace,that will solve the problem of ethnicity in Nigeria.

3. How to Resolve Pastoral farmers and Farmers of Agric Products Conflicts in Nigeria;

For me the best method to use is ''Conciliation''

According to 'Morris'the term Conciliation refers to a process of dispute resolution in which

parties in dispute usually are not present in the same room.The Conciliation communicate with each side separately using'shuttle diplomacy'.(Wilmot and Hacker 1998) also support and talk about Conciliation as a way to solve conflicts.

In the case of the herdsman and landfarmers,the best way to solve their conflict is by calling

them and putting them on different sides of rooms then the conciliator will hear the view of

each party through asking them questions then at the end of the day the conciliator will suggest a better way for them to solve the issue,thereby bringing understanding between them,so that peace will reign within them as they both do there businesses.

Conclusion;

We have look at the conflict as the manifestations of hostile attitude in face of conflicting interest between individuals,groups or states and we also discussed 3 problems of conflicts in Nigeria in the likes of the BokoHaram,Ethnicity and the Pastoral and Farmers of Agric products and we also define conflict resolution and also suggest ways to solve the conflicts arising, we explained through Adjudication,Negotiationand Conciliation. If government will be faithful and do as they promised,Nigerian will be a living land of peace for not just Nigerians but also other humanbeings around the globe,peace will bring about a burst in our economy and peace will also attract foreign investors to us,is only when there is peace that we Nigerians can see development,Let us give peace a chance and you will see what you have never dream of.

References;

•Peacestudies and conflict Resolution in Nigeria by Miriam Ikejiani Clark

•Community conflicts in Nigeria by Onigu Otite

•www.wikipediadictionary.com

by Jay Steve