October 24, 2014 – The need for the Federal Government to promote peace through tacit engagement in meaningful dialogue rather than escalation of the current violence and insurgents through massive deployment of arms and ammunition has been canvassed as the only panacea to the problem of insurgents currently ravaging the North-east.
Commander Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ade Abolurin made the revelation at a one day workshop on Conflict Management and Peace Building Training put together by the NSCDC through Peace and Conflict Unit in collaboration with Impact for Change and Development (IMPACT) and Konrad Adenauver Stiftung (KAS).
Abolurin who said that there can be no meaningful development without peace called on governments all over the world to seek out people who are peace initiators who will be able to engage the insurgents adding that through this means every problem that has engendered conflict and tension within the system will be discussed and agreement reached for sustainable peace.
He called on every Nigerian to embrace and promote peace wherever they are right from the home, adding “peace begins from you as an individual. Let there be peace. Why this madness. If somebody has run mad, let the one who has the right drug administer it so that there can be peace”, he said.
He alluded to the highly successful Amnesty Programme in the Niger Delta, stressing that the Niger Delta militants did not lay up their arms because of the amnesty programme but the peace initiative championed by the NSCDC.
“When it was very hot, we took peace to Rivers State and we brought the militants from the creeks and after the programme they surrendered their cutlasses, their axes and their guns”, he said.
Abolurin explained that those who promote violence have three or four passports and money which enables them to escape through the borders each time there is conflict adding they escape leaving the poor masses as recipients of their evil plots.
“Some people have money but they don’t want peace. They use their money to cause problem, to cause tension and to build war which has brought destruction to peace and peace loving people. They have money but they fail to put them into productive activities.
Enough is enough. Let us go out and ensure that there is peace in Nigeria. Let us make peace for Nigeria”, he said adding that defection from one political party to the other does not change the fact that the individual remains a human being. “So, let there be peace”, he said.
He called for better synergy for peace and cooperation for peace among the armed forces to bring violence and insurgents to an end.
“So when you see a thief, arrest him and hand him over to the relevant outfit. If you see pipeline vandals, arrest them and hand them over to the relevant outfit. Do not lay ambush for others who have gone into the bush to chase pipeline vandals”, he preached adding that it is only through this approach that Nigeria will have peace.
