Vice-Chancellor Urges Nigerians to Promote Peace, Unity

Funmi Ogundare 

The Vice-Chancellor of the African School of Economics, Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, has appealed to Nigerians to underplay their ethnic, religious and political differences while embracing a culture of peace and harmony.

Adedimeji, who made this known recently at a public lecture, organised to commemorate this year’s UN International Day of Peace, at the institution, explained that such a move will break the barriers of conflict that may arise among them and make Nigeria attain its full potential.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Cultivating a Culture of Peace: Build Bridges, Break Barriers’, he described the culture of peace as a set of values, attitudes, and behaviours that promote mutual understanding, respect and non-violent resolution of conflict, adding that the theme was apt and relevant as it is the world needs most.

He highlighted some of the values and attitudes that Nigerians must embrace such  as love, patience, forgiveness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, empathy, cooperation, discipline, justice, generosity, gratitude, mutual understanding and respect for one another.

The vice-chancellor, also a fellow of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice, explained that the world is undergoing turbulence with violent conflicts and that their associated inhumanity is ravaging many places worldwide.

The solutions to these problems, he stated, include;  working hard to unite people and communities, foster dialogue, promote mutual understanding and accept diversity. 

The former director of the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, advised Nigerians to work hard and pray, saying that there are opportunities in challenges and with difficulty, there is ease if everyone is positive about embracing good values and a positive attitude at all times.