University Don Advocates for Sustainable Development to Tackle Terrorism, Violent Conflicts

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

A University don, Professor Benjamin Okaba has advocated for sustainable development to tackle terrorism, insurgency and other spates of violent conflicts confronting the country.

He maintained that owing to the prevalence of violent conflicts, terrorism, insurgencies and other forms of life threatening upheaval, sustainable development was needed.

Okaba spoke at a one-day Seminar held in Effurun to mark the International Peace Day organised by Shedrack Agediga Foundation.

“To appreciate this intricate synergy we must see development not just as mere economic growth but as positive transformation in human productive capacity.

“Advancement in the living conditions of people through access to the necessities of life, decent housing, potable water, education, health etc.

“Low levels of peace and high levels of underdevelopment are directly correlated to the extent that the depreciation in one automatically leads to the deterioration of other others,” he said.

National Chairman of Shedrack Agediga Foundation, Comrade Shedrack Agediga, said the aim ofthe seminar was to seek the importance of peace against the violent menace of war.

He moted that peace was paramount to development and growth recalling that Nigeria today was divided between religion, ethnic and political lines.

“Peace cannot be obtained through violence but through dialogue. An eye for eye will make the world go blind, when the power of peace overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace”, he observed.

In his lecture, Dr. Emmanuel-Ufuophu– Biri, Head of Department, Mass Communication, DELSU x-rayed the importance of media as instrument of peace and National integration as enormous.

“The media must have the development of the nation in its mind when reporting peace and conflict related issues in the country.

“The mass media has a great role to play if we must attain peace, a wrong report can escalate situation and cause great set back”, he posited.

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