Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State has suggested that violence and insecurity in Nigeria and other countries may have stemmed from frustration among the people as well as the refusal of those privileged to allow others to be heard.
Playing host to the Assistant Secretary of the United States Department Bureau of Conflict Stabilisation Operations (CSO), Mr. Rick Barton and the Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, on Monday, Fashola said the removal of this frustration would go a long way to reduce conflict across the globe.
Fashola stated that for frustration to be minimized in any system, the system must be such that the people must have confidence in the government.
He pointed out that people get frustrated for many reasons including the fact that their voices are not being heard enough or that they are being heard, but not with respect.
“To me, the most important thing in an argument is to show respect even if you disagree with the view of the other side and show understanding even as disagreeable as one can be,” Fashola said
He added that conflicts could be effectively managed by being responsive and remaining very clearly principled in the approach.
“When frustration is removed, people can be more rational, more reasonable and in the hands of very skillful negotiators, very patient and respectful conflict managers, nothing cannot be resolved everything is possible to find a way about,” he said.
“When you look at the management of resources within a plural society, very diverse society, some people genuinely may feel that they may have been left behind; some people may think they may have gotten the short end of a stick and so on and so forth.
Oftentimes in places where some group interests have taken up arms in order to express themselves, it is often a response to failure of government to respond to them.”
The governor said he would never support any form of violence as a means of conflict resolution, however he pointed out that it was important to attempt to understand what could be the impetus for resorting to violence. He added that such understanding would help to understand how deeply things may have festered and how to resolve the conflict.
“In terms of conflict and conflict management, the much I would like to say is that life itself is a daily management of conflict from our homes to our office places and to every part and it requires us to first communicate in the right manner,” he said.
Commenting on the 2015 General Elections, he said there was need for the electoral umpires to guarantee a free and fair election and enough space for those who feel aggrieved by the conduct of the elections to seek redress in court adding that confidence in the electoral umpire to deliver creditably would enable the electorates give consideration when genuine errors occur in the process.
“Nobody really loves violence. People only resort to it when they feel a sense of frustration and helplessness,” Fashola explained.
“In that situation the adrenalin that runs in their veins is not different from that in the veins of athletes. But when they are sure the umpire is not going to be unfair, when an error occurs, they are more restrained in ventilating their frustrations.”
The Governor said a situation where an aggrieved person who went to court to seek redress after election has only 180 days to discharge the case or have it invalidated was an invitation to violence.
“Now the Parliament has intervened to say that the judicial process must be concluded within 180 days and there is no guarantee that the electoral system will ensure that my rights are not injured,” he said.
“I am sure Nigerians are expectant in the light of the development that I have seen and I am sure that as peace loving people they will conduct themselves appropriately. I hope that those who have the responsibility for managing these processes will also conduct themselves appropriately.”
Governor Fashola welcomed the conflict resolution initiative proposed by the Barton, saying it is a platform for communication which explores the spirit of enterprise that lies within Nigerians and provides them the platform and the opportunity to express themselves.
Earlier the Assistant Secretary had commended Fashola’s leadership style, saying since 2007 when he last visited Lagos, the city had become more habitable, better directed and well managed.
He said he was ready to work with the state government as the United States was going to fund any of their commitments.
