Stakeholders task Buhari, Soludo on peace initiatives to tackle insecurity

Politicians must embrace peace, says don
Stakeholders in peace building have advocated the deployment of a mechanism for peaceful co-existence as means of tackling security challenges across the federation.

They spoke at an event marking this year’s World Peace Day, with the theme, ‘End Racism, Build Peace.’

The International Coordinator of United Nations Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre (UN-PELOLAC), Dr. Ozioma Oziemena, said violent conflicts are the greatest challenge hampering development in Nigeria, like other countries, resulting in loss of lives, psychological injustice, damage to infrastructure, compromised developmental efforts and worsening poverty.

He called on the Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, to establish Peace and Conflicts Management Agency in the state to address hostility, especially by putting in place cases prevention mechanism and fresh orientation in culture of peace, peace Education and social rebirth.

Ozoemena noted that the unveiled N200 million Peace and Leadership Centre Multi-purpose Building Project in Awka, the state capital, will house Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Room for mediation, arguing that the latter is closer to people and culture. He noted that it would provide a win-win situation unlike the conventional courtroom that favours one party, but does not guarantee peace.

In his remarks, Dr. Hussein Jones, an MP-UN awardee and a Clinical Psychologist, tasked President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders, especially in the Sahel Region, where he observed security overlap, to address issues of terrorism and other forms of insurgencies through consultations and bilateralism or multilateralism.

ALSO, the Director, Institute for Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (IPCDS), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Prof. Felix Asogwa, has asked politicians to make peace their watchword as they embark on campaigns for 2023 general elections.

Asogwa noted that the country is in dire need of peace, stressing that politicians must pursue virtues that could promote it to engender development and progress after elections.

Speaking in Enugu as part of activities to mark the International Peace Day organised by the institute, he noted that injustice and discrimination had, over the years, done serious harm on the nation.

He insisted that politicians must devise means to address several injustices that have derailed the peace and development of the nation.