A former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar has called on Nigerians to raise the bar of peace in all their endeavors.
In his remarks at the second General Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation Annual Peace Lecture on Saturday in Minna, the elder stateman said Nigeria is walking a tightrope as regard peace and security, while advocating for urgent measures to prevent the rope from snapping midway.
He said the theme for the lecture: “Good Politics at the service of peace: The role of Eminent Persons in the prevention and management of conflict”, is apt in view of the discontents and tension that trailed the last general elections.
“The theme for the lecture is apt, looking at the situation that our nation finds itself with respect to the just concluded elections, hate speeches and conflicts bedeviling the polity.
“As we commemorate the International Day of Peace, we must raise the bar of peace and always walk to peace in all endeavors,” he noted.
He observed that the current tensed situation required a collective efforts by all the country’s stakeholders to prevent it from boiling over.
“We cannot bequeath chaos, disunity, a state of insecurity and hopelessness to the future generations of Nigerians,” he pointed out.
He urged the youths to embrace the virtues of tolerance, fairness, respect for human dignity and avoid vices that disrupt sustainable peace and development.
Speaking on “climate change for peace” which is the theme of this year’s International Day for Peace, the former head of state said the dwindling natural resources has further exacerbated the conflict.
“The impact of the climatic change has led to soil erosion, environmental degradation, dwindling water resources, natural disasters amongst others.
“These have contributed further in exacerbating existing conflicts due to competition for scarce resources,” he said.
He therefore, called for the adoption of sustainable practices in the way that resources are used for the common good for all.
Delivering his lecture at the event, Niger state Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello advocated for dialogue in resolving conflicts instead of military option which he pointed out, further exacerbates crisis rather than resolving them.
He decried the rising insecurity across the country with each region experiencing its peculiar crisis, while calling on stakeholders to come with urgent measures to tackling the roots of the menace.
