Omo-Agege tasks Nigerians on peaceful co-existence

Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, says it is the duty of all Nigerians to ensure peace in within the country.

Omo-Agege believes that peaceful co-existence can not only be guaranteed by the government alone, but through concerted efforts of various peace loving organisations and individuals who appreciate and value the essence of peace.

The Deputy Senate President stated this at an event organized by the Peace Corps of Nigeria to commemorate 2019 United Nations International Day of Peace.

Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society Organisations, Princess Modupe Ozolua, Omo-Agege said: "I call on all Nigerians to remember that peaceful existence does not lie in the hands of the Government alone, but in the goodwill and conscious efforts of citizens to ensure that things are done right in their immediate environment."

Omo-Agege stated the readiness of the Nigerian Parliament to partner with the Peace Corps and other relevant bodies on legislations that would promote peace, security and environmental protections.

Earlier in his address, National Commandant of Peace Corps, Dickson Akoh, described Nigeria as a "theatre of war".

Akoh called for an end to the "needless violence" in some parts of the country.

"Nigeria has become a theatre full of tension, violence, declining values, electoral fraud, social injustice, poor resource management, ethnic and religious intolerance. Related to this, the gun culture has already taken a dominant position in the psyche of Nigerians, threatening the future of the youths who deserve a peaceful and better quality of life," Akoh said.

"Peace cannot be attained in the midst of avoidable crises, the kind that we are witnessing today in Nigeria. These needless crises should attract the concern of well-meaning individuals in the polity, including the government. No doubt, if the government takes the right decision, it is possible for people to live in peace and harmony," he added.

The theme of this year's event is "Global Climate Action For Peace: The Role of Youths in Protecting Our Environment".

Peace Corps of Nigeria, which is seeking legislation and government's approval to become an agency in the country, currently enjoins a consultative status with the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).