The former Chief of Army Staff, General Abdulrahman Danbazau says Nigeria and the other African countries yearning for peace must address developmental issues to achieve security.
General Danbazau made the reminder at the 14th and 15th International conference and general assembly of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP) held in Abuja with the theme “Peace and security in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to the former Army Chief, for Nigeria and every other African country to develop peace must be considered central and must be achieved.
“I must say that COVID-19 pandemic is just an addition to our experience here in Nigeria. We all know we have been having the problem of insecurity.”
Danbazau noted that “Security cannot be achieved unless we meet up with a certain index of national development. There is a strong correlation between peace, security and development.”
“If we want to develop as a nation then we must have peace and we must ensure that the environment is secure.”
The former Army Chief said, “Nobody would want to invest in an environment that is not secure.“
He expressed the hope that the conference will come up with a reliable peace policy document for the Nigerian government.
Professor Godwin Francis encouraged members of the Association to continue to be agents of change to the government to drive development.
Also, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Association Professor Suleiman Bogoro represented by Professor Isaac Olawole said, “The association want to harvest good brains in peace making from all endeavour to build a stronger body of peace institution in Nigeria and the African continent.
“Nobody is coming to solve our problems but ourselves,” Bogoro emphasized.
According to the President of SPSP, Dr. Nathaniel Danjibo the conference is not only to honour its distinguished fellows but also to brainstorm on peace building mechanisms for the growth of Nigeria.
“There were about 155 submissions for this conference and I believe strongly that recommendations will help find a lasting solution to the issue of insecurity.
“We expect that our government will make use of the recommendations from this conference to form its own policy.”
The Vice-Chancellor, National Open University, Professor Femi Peters and other partners made presentations on the need for governments to support the peace initiatives of the association.
The SPSP is a non – profit organization that promotes a non – violent approach to conflicts resolution, through multi-level research, advocacy and actions that strengthen local capacities that will bring about a sustainable culture of peace.
PIAK
