CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

There was a farmer who had a neighbor who was a hunter. This hunter owned ferocious and poorly trained hunting dogs. The dogs frequently jumped the fence and chased the farmer’s lambs. The farmer several times asked his neighbor to keep his dogs in check, but his words fell on deaf ears.

One day the dogs again jumped the fence and attacked several of the lambs, severely injuring them. The farmer had had enough, so he went into town to consult the local judge.

The judge listened carefully and said: “I could punish the hunter and instruct him to keep his dogs chained or locked in a shed. But you would lose a friend and gain an enemy.”

He then asked, “Which would you rather have, a friend or a foe for a neighbor?”

The farmer replied that he would prefer a friend.

“Then I will offer you a solution that will keep your lambs safe as well as turn your neighbor into a friend,” the judge said.

After hearing the judge’s solution, the farmer agreed. Once at home, he immediately put the judge’s suggestion to the test.

He took three of his best lambs and presented them to his neighbor as a gift to the neighbor’s three small sons. The boys were beside themselves with joy and began to play with the lambs.

To protect his sons’ cherished lambs, the hunter built a strong kennel for his dogs, and the dogs never bothered the farmer’s lambs again.

From then on, the hunter frequently shared with the farmer the game he had hunted. The farmer reciprocated by sending the hunter lamb meat and cheese he had made. Within a short time, the neighbors became good friends.

According to a saying from ancient China, “The best way to influence and win over others is with gestures of kindness and compassion.”

With wisdom and counsel, there is no need to fight and create more enemies in the neighborhood. We need more friends, therefore we must think of a lasting solution in time of conflict to convert our potential enemies into friends for our own safety and protection.

Our leaders should learn from this. We are all from the womb of mother Nigeria.
Let's take advantage of our God given resources and restructure the country for the good of all.