The Peace Corps of Nigeria has appealed to egocentric politicians and ethnic warlords to have a change of heart so as to ensure sustainable peace and tranquility in the country.
The National Commandant of the corps, Ambassador Dickson Akoh, made the appeal when he received the delegation of the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council at the national headquarters of the corps on Thursday in Abuja.
Akoh also admonished egocentric politicians to avoid equipping unemployed youths with guns to disrupt peaceful coexistence in the society.
He stressed the need for politicians and other stakeholders to channel their resources toward creating a peaceful society through massive job creation and genuine empowerment of the youths.
Akoh advocated sustainable peace education where youths would gradually be educated to unlearn the deeply ingrained culture of violence and, in its place, learn the virtues of peaceful coexistence and the practices of the culture of non-violence.
He said the quest for development in Africa must be driven pari passu with a desire to put an end to all forms of violent conflicts, declaring that “silencing the guns” would be a huge step in that direction.
Akoh commended the decision of ECOSOCC to pay a working and familiarisation visit to the outfit and to further discuss the structure and mode of operations.
He added that the visit would enhance institutional partnership between the two organisations towards the attainment of the 2020 theme of the African Union: “Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa’s Development.”
He said: “Indeed, your visit today is ample proof that the AU ECOSOCC’s commitment to the quest for peace and sustainable development in Africa is beyond rhetoric.
“We are very glad to note that the visions and missions of our respective organisations found a common point of convergence in this year’s theme of the AU.”
Earlier, leader of the delegation, Dr. Tunji Asaolu, had commended the leadership of the Peace Corps for the good work it had been doing to improve peace in the country.
Asaolu advised governments at all levels to increase awareness for peace building, alternative dispute resolution, reduce cross border crimes and curtail proliferation of light and small weapons.
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