Mrs Patience Jonathan, the First Lady, has assured the international community that spouses of presidents in Africa will work diligently to help their husbands achieve peace in their countries.
Jonathan, represented by Ms Martha Onwuzulumba, the Special Adviser to the President on African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM), gave the assurance in her speech to commemorate Peace Day in Abuja on Sunday.
“In Nigeria, our nation is facing new safety and security challenges, even as we require peace for any reasonable development to take place.
“We must therefore be conscious that conflict can only result in insecurity, promote poverty, reverse our democratic gains and ultimately tear our society apart.
“I plead that we desist from acts directly and indirectly that will cause harm or death to our fellow human beings,’’ the first lady implored.
She reiterated that AFLMP would continue to support peace and humanitarian efforts in Africa and called on everyone to work to attain peace and make the world a better place.
Also speaking at the occasion, Prof. Oshita Oshita, the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) called on Nigerians to surrender to peace.
Oshita also called on parties in the conflicts in Nigeria to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue as this remains the time-tested path to peace and development.
“It includes combatants using insurgency and terrorism to destroy innocent lives and conflict actors in the various inter and intra-community conflict disorders in different parts of the country,’’ he said.
In her remaks, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Viola Onwuliri, who was represented by Amb. Gordon Harry Bristol urged Nigerians to recommit themselves to achieving peace.
Onwuliri said that the government and people of Nigeria were committed to the culture of peace in spite of the action of some misguided elements among the citizens.
She said that Nigeria’s role in conflict resolution, peace-making and peace building had been universally acknowledged as it had been a good force in the region and even beyond.
“We must not and will not give up until the culture of peace, which we very much desire and are committed to, returns to our land,’’ Onwuliri said.
Mrs Patricia Donli, a human rights activist and the guest speaker, noted that attaining peace was a collective responsibility.
She called on all Nigerians to work together and to learn to love one another as well as imbibe the culture of peace, irrespective of tribe or religion.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the International Day of Peace is observed on Sept. 21 annually.
The day is set aside to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.
The theme for the year is “The Right of People to Peace’’. (NAN)
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/african-first-ladies-will-continue-support-peace-patience/#sthash.ivWwMDhF.dpuf
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