500,000 Christians, Muslims In Four Niger Communities To Pilot TLMN Peace Project

As part of plans to tackle discriminations against victims and challenges facing its operations, The Leprosy Mission, Nigeria (TLMN) has disclosed that it will bring together no fewer than 500, 000 persons, including moslems and Christians to lead in ptomoting peaceful coexistence amongsts them in four Niger communities.

This was disclosed by the Head of Program and Operations, TLMN, Mr Pius Ogbu, during an inception meeting tagged Together in Faith and Freedom (Freedom of Religion or Belief), where he also added that the project, in partnership with the TLM, Denmark, having initially 1, 020 religious persons, will end in the year, December 2027.

The TLMN Head of Program and Operations said, “As humans, we have over time allowed the issue of religion to cause division amongst us. We are first humans and should live together in love and unity.”

Ogbu said the targeted number of persons is put at 500,000 in Bosso, Chanchaga, Tunga and Dokoko communities irrespective of their religious beliefs, adding that said: “The essence of the meeting is to build peace and tolerance for one another in the religious space and as well ensure there is no conflict amongst the TLMN colony”.

Ogbu also told the TLMN community that the project responds to the following: stereotyping and mistrust between victims along faith groups; limited knowledge, weak community protections, economic pressure and political manipulation, exclusion of marginalised groups, and also weak institutional response.

Also speaking, the TLMN Head of Resource Mobilisation, Mr Terver Anyor, who served as resource person to the event, cautioned religious leaders against political manipulations by politicians, especially before and during next year’s general elections.

Earlier, the State Program Officer, Mr Habila Diko, said participants were carefully selected, and the meeting is to ensure the rights of every TLMN member to have and choose, change, practice and share their religious beliefs and be free from force, coercion or discrimination.

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