Rev Idowu-Fearon Heads Kaduna State Peace Commission
BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – In a dertermined bid to silence his fierce critics, Governor Nasiru Ahmed el-Rufai has appointed Most Reverend Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon to head the newly established Kaduna State Peace Commission.
Already, the governor has forwarded four names that would constitute the Peace Commission’s leadership to the State House of Assembly for screening and confirmation.
A statement by the Governor’s spokesman, Samuel Aruwan explained that the Kaduna State House of Assembly recently passed into law the bill establishing the Commission.
The statement said Most Reverend Idowu-Fearon has been nominated as the Commission Chairman with Priscilla Yachat Ankut as Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive, while Dr Saleh Bashayi Momale and Hajiya Khadijah Hawzja Gambo will serve as permanent Commissioners.
According to the Statement, “Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon is the Secretary-General of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United Kingdom. He is the immediate past Archbishop of the Kaduna Archdiocese of the Anglican Church, and also a former Bishop of Sokoto. Idowu-Fearon is a household name in peace advocacy and inter-religious harmony in Nigeria.
“He established the Kaduna Center for the Study of Christian-Muslim Relations. He holds degrees in theology, sociology, Arabic and Islamic studies from universities in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Jordan.
“Ankut is an expert in democratic governance, with specific experience in human rights, inclusive political processes, justice sector reform, conflict prevention and peace building.
“Her country experience spans South Africa, Gambia, Rwanda, Malawi and Nigeria where she has supported democratization processes in various capacities. Ankut worked with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi as the Technical Specialist in Democratic Accountability where she supported the government of Malawi to develop a robust democratic governance sector strategy as part of its reform agenda.
“In Nigeria, she works with the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP), DFID’s largest peace-building support programme, where she has successfully facilitated dialogue and reconciliation in communities affected by violent conflict across the country. She holds an LL.M from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She studied law at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
“Dr. Momale is a development Geographer at the Centre for Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano. He holds a doctorate degree in Geography. He is a former Executive Director of The Pastoral Resolve, a non-governmental organization working in the areas of pastoralists’ education, conflict management and pastoral resource development in Nigeria.
“Hajiya Gambo is a gender rights activist, social entrepreneur and conflict resolution expert active in Plateau and neighboring states. She has been involved in several peace initiatives facilitated by the Geneva-based Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD),” the statement said.
