Towards Peaceful Co-existence And National Development

By Moshood Karim

Auchi- Participants at a four-day national conference organized by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Federal Polytechnic, Auchi rose and concluded that development in the country can only be achieved in the atmosphere devoid of conflicts and crisis. Hence, need for peaceful co-existence.

At the maiden conference with the theme: “Promoting Peaceful co-existence for National Development”, stakeholders noted that lack of ethics, violent conflicts have seriously contributed to the security challenges and absence of peace in Nigeria.

These conflicts, according to them, are also responsible for the loss of human and material capital which undermines the nation’s development efforts. They stressed the need for government to urgently tackle the problems of poor leadership, poverty and unemployment, electoral malpractices’, absence of infrastructural facilities, which according to them are some of the identifiable factors causing conflicts in the country.

Keynote speaker and Rector of the polytechnic, Dr. Philipa Idogho emphasized the need for peace in the country as only in the atmosphere of peace can any nation experience development.

According to her: “One of the objectives of setting up this Centre among others is the promotion of peaceful co-existence through organizing seminars, conferences and avenues for the promotion of peace.

“Peace is a situation characterized by justice, understanding and good neighborliness. This is why there is need for peace in our institutions, home and country.”

She urged government machineries to urgently fashion out solutions to the lingering security problems in the country.

The Rector said: “As a country where peace has become elusive, a conference like this is needed to brainstorm and come up with suggested solutions to the problem of lack of peace in our country.”

Also speaking at the conference, Mr. Umoru George, the Director of the Centre said the conference was another important step in the quest for peace that has completely eluded Nigeria.

According to him: “This conference cannot be over emhasised in Nigeria today, especially at a time when the idea of peace has completely eluded the nation with the killing of citizens by fellow citizens without qualms especially in the North Eastern Nigeria.”

He advised that political leaders should embrace the culture of good governance as that could be the only panacea to peace and insecurity in the country.

The Nigerian state since returned to civil rule about 15 years ago has been plagued with protractions of violence particularly in the North as peace has eroded most parts of the region.