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A walk for unity, peaceful co-existence

Nigeria recently joined the rest of the world in marking the United Nations’ International Day of Peace, with a rally. CALEB ONWE reports.

 

The International Day of Peace, was marked in a colourful way, as some groups in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) came out enmasse for a walk and a rally to promote peaceful co-existence amongst Nigerians.

 

The 21st day of September was declared by the United Nations General Assembly as a special day to focus on global peace in 1981. Two decades later, precisely in 2001, the same General Assembly unanimously voted and pronounced the Day as a period of non-violence and ceasefire wherever there are ongoing wars.

 

Every year, the United Nations urges all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the World Peace Day. It also encourages countries to commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

 

In Abuja, the celebration started as early as 8am, as various groups gathered at the popular Unity Fountain, for a walk which they said was conceived, not just to coincide with the United Nations mandate for peace, but to preach against the increasing wave of insecurity in Nigeria and the disturbing clamour for disintegration of the country.

 

The groups led by the Peace Corps of Nigeria, the Elite Lawyers Association, and the Rotary Club of Abuja were dressed in white apparels, a symbol of peace.

 

The rally was accompanied with a resounding musical performance, hyped by a band of drummers and trumpeters who marched round the vast vicinity of the Unity Fountain.

 

The ceremony, though brief, left a strong message, indicating that no country develops without a conscientious efforts towards peace building. Inside Abuja observed that to further demonstrate their readiness to contribute to the process of peace building in Nigeria, the groups, represented by their key members, planted trees within the precinct of the Unity Fountain.

 

It was learnt that the different trees planted by the groups, were named after the positive changes, which  they noted was urgently needed in the country. National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dr. Dickson Akoh, who also participated in the tree planting exercise, led others to paint some of the decorative sculptures in the place with white colour.

 

Akoh, while expressing displeasure over the continued insecurity and violent agitations threatening the unity and peaceful co-existence in Nigeria, also used the occasion to call on seccessionist groups in Nigeria to embrace peace and unity in order to move the country to a greater height.

 

Akoh, who agreed that people have the right to complain over perceived injustices, however, noted that such complaints can be addressed peacefully, through the judiciary.

 

He called on all agitating groups in the country to put the interests of the founding fathers of Nigeria above their selfish interests, and also choose the path of dialogue rather than violence in resolving conflicts.

 

According to him, the Peace Corps has been on the front line in sensitizing the youths on the need to shun violent tendencies and join hands in remaking Nigeria for peace to reign. Akoh said: “We believe in the Unity of Nigeria, we believe that we are one people under God, and now that Nigeria has challenges, all and sundry need to come together and join hand in the process of making peace to reign.

“That is why in line with the United Nations mandate, which provides that on September 21, there should be a Peace Day celebration with different types of symbolic activities.

 

“The Nigerian Peace Corps is out to do peace enlightenment, because there is a process that expose the youths to the culture of violence, we are out to change the narrative by sensitizing them and bringing them up in the way of peace building.

 

“We are living in the world where once one dies, the slogan “rest in peace” is usually in the mouth of people. But the question is how can one rest in peace, when such an individual had been brought up in the way of peace ? “We are not in support for calls for Nigeria to be divided, because most of the National symbols will be divided.

 

The youths should avoid all that and  also resist every temptation to be used as a tool of division. “We urge the young people in the South West and South East to stop agitation for division. We appeal to them to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue, we believe that the judiciary is there to address all injustices meted on any group.”

 

President, Elite Lawyers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Ita- Inyang, said the significance of the march was to sensitize the youths to eschew violence and strive for sustainable peace.

 

He noted that the youths were the driving force of change in the society, and as such must guide against negative energies, capable of destabilising the polity.

 

According to Ita-Inyang the desired positive change in Nigeria can be achieved when there is a positive driving force behind the wheel. He called on both religious and traditional leaders to foster the required unity by educating youths on the dangers of terrorism and other social vices.

 

“The International Day of peace signifies the day that youths can begin to drive for the change that we are looking for. We are the pillars and the driving force of any change that we desire.

 

“We have to remind ourselves practically and consciously that we have to make efforts into maintaining world peace and unity. “For the youths getting involved in terrorism, the need to be educated in the language they understand”, Ita- Inyang said.

 

On his part, Roy-Stanley Nwarin, a member of the Rotary Club, said the planting of trees symbolises one of the eight pillars of peace, as advocated by the United Nations.

 

Nwarin, who called on all stakeholders to support the government in all processes of peace, also urged those in leadership positions to ensure that good governance remained their focal point.

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