The World Peace Organisation has called for the establishment of state-level and community-level peace building mechanisms across the country for effective conflict resolution.
This was as the organisation released the list of its peace ambassadors among those appointed by the WPO as peace ambassadors is the General Manager, Digital and Publications, The Punch Newspaper, Mr Ademola Oni.
Also made ambassadors were the National President, Nigerian Union of Journalists, Dr Chris Isiguzo; Mr Malah Usman; Bashir Maidugu; Abubakar Mohammed; Olorogun Aguariavwodo; Chief Uche Nworah; Ijeoma Okoli; Princess Enna Ifodo; Felicia Uju Ogbozi; Adebayo Abiodun, Hajiya Hadiza Kabir, Dr. Sam Okey Nwosu and Evang. Raphael Nwadavid.
Also, Peace Advisers includes: StellaRita Awele Nwachukwu Asogwa, Dr. Bako Mohammed, Ahmad Abdullahi Ahmad, Ahmed Mohammed Bello, Alh. Abdulmumuni Mamman, Arum Paul Ifeanyichukwu, Dame Adetope Tychus, Dr. Kabir Ali, Engr.Benedict A.Orjime, Hon. Rose Ogechukwu Michael, Hon. Taiye Ibrahim Marafa, Ma’aji Lawan Muhammed, Mutawalli Kachalla Barko, Osaretin Ogiemwense, Rabiu Garba, Zeenat Idris and Ifeoma Scholarstica Nwachukwu.
Speaking during the induction ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, the Director General, WPO Nigeria, Prof. Olumuyiwa Babalola, lamented the increasing conflict in the country.
He called on the government to take a cue from the measures taken to prevent conflicts from escalating before the advent of civilisation.
Babalola said, “We all need to look into our history and culture to discover the mechanisms we have used in the past to prevent the escalation of conflicts and conserve cohesion. One of the reasons conflicts have spread is that we have allowed community-level peace-building mechanisms that have been instrumental in harmony and cohesion to disappear.
There is no doubt in my mind that the escalation of violent conflicts between pastoralist and farmer communities is linked to the breakdown of traditional conflict prevention mechanisms.’’
The WPO DG solicited the support of the Federal Government for the organisation’s plans to establish peacebuilding institutions across the board for its long-term sustainable programmes and projects.
He said, ‘’So far, 70 per cent of the zones involving the states have embarked on the path of establishing specialised state-level peace-building modalities and initiatives. The idea of establishing conflict-resolution mechanisms as conflicts spread in the nooks and crannies of the country is a process that is stretching the capacity of the Federal Government to understand and respond adequately.
“Such partnership institutions with WPO shall play the important role of preparing regular conflict assessment reports across states and engaging in conflict monitoring and mitigation activities across the country. We shall also institute a resource centre for conflict management and peacebuilding within WPO management. As an international organisation in Nigeria, we all have a responsibility to establish peace and rebuild Nigeria.”
Speaking on behalf of the honorees, Isiguzo urged Nigerians to uphold the country’s unity and shun divisive activities.