As government works to douse ethno-religious tensions in the country, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) has identified the need for institutions in the country to firmly support peace building processes in Nigeria.
Director General of NOA, Dr. Garba Abari, while receiving in audience, a team from the National Peace Initiative (NPI) led by its Executive Secretary, Chief Dennis Aghanya, was emphatic that no individual or institution could achieve self-actualization in the absence of peace, hence the need for institutions to give credence to the collective desire for peace through institutional initiatives.
Abari stressed the need for continued citizens’ engagement to ensure national peace, noting that the peace of Nigeria is the peace of the entire West African sub-region. He condemned the current threats to national unity, saying they are championed by people with no sense of Nigeria’s history.
Pledging the Agency’s commitment to partnering with NPI on nationwide peace advocacy, he said “Nations are not built by foreigners but by its citizens. This country needs to be ripped from the hands of its detractors. We must never allow them have their way because peace is not a means but an end in itself and therefore has no substitute.”
The NPI Chief Executive on his part decried the crescendo of hate speeches in the country and stressed the need for concerted efforts in nationwide peace building. He said the Initiative which comprises over forty Civil Society Organizations, was in consultation with stakeholders across the country to rally Nigerians together for peace, noting that peace building must not be left for government alone.
Chief Aghanya said NPI was in partnership with volunteers in its nationwide peace research and advocacy and will soon hold a National Peace Summit where Nigerians from across all divides will assemble to make meaningful contributions towards ensuring lasting peace in the country.