Participants at a peace sensitization forum organised by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Osun State Command to mark this year’s International Day of Peace have identified justice, fairness and dialogue as essential tools to promote a peaceful society.

The participants which included traditional rulers, community leaders, security operatives, religious leaders, civil society activists and academics agreed that peace was indispensable in achieving sustainable development.

It was their aggregate submission that recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world from the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic would only be possible in a stable and peaceful atmosphere.

In his address, the Commandant of the Osun NSCDC, Mr Emmanuel Ocheja advocated the strengthening of avenues for dialogue as measure to build peace and forestall crisis nationwide.

Mr. Ocheja described the family institution as the smallest most important unit of the society where the issue of Peace should be emphasized.

The Osun NSCDC commander believed that the challenge of insecurity in Nigeria would soon be a thing of the past, but appealed to all stakeholders in the peace process to be honest and forthright.

On his part, a traditional ruler, the Owaloko of Iloko Ijesa, Oba Hakeem Ogungbangbe who shared a personal experience of his ascendancy to the throne maintained that most crisis were instigated by selfish individual who often did not think about the consequences of their actions.

Oba Ogungbangbe appealed to leaders at every level, particularly people seeking power in politics and communities to desist from instigating crisis through their actions and inactions as the result might eventually overwhelm the selfish desired goals.

Similarly, the Elegboro of Ijebu Jesa, Oba Olufemi Agunloye charged governments to support monarchs and the traditional institutions in playing its role of mediation and reconciliation which had prevented many disagreement from snowballing into bigger crisis.

In a paper presentation, the Director of Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute at the Osun State University, Osogbo, Doctor John Agbonifo called for collective approach to resolve issues, most especially in COVID-19 era.

Adenitan Akinola

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