Oyetunji Abioye
The Vice-Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Ademola Tayo; the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Gen. Jones Arogbofa, (retd.), and peace and security experts have said that dialogue remains the most potent weapon to overcome myriads of challenges threatening peaceful co-existence in the country.
They spoke at the opening session of the 11th Annual International Conference and General Assembly of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice held at the university.
The VC of the school, who welcomed participants to the three-day conference, said, “I just came back from Moronvia in Liberia and Kigali in Rwanda and what I saw really moved me to tears. The horrendous tell-tale signs of the past civil war in Liberia and the genocide war in Rwanda are not what I pray for in Nigeria.”
Tayo said it was better to engage in dialogue that to go to war.
He added that it was against this background that the university would continue to seek for partnership for peace and security as there was no alternative to such for any society that desired growth and prosperity.
In his address as the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Oloyede, who was represented by the Director of Test Management, JAMB, Mrs. Flora Usoh, identified hate speeches, insurgency in the North-East, kidnapping, armed banditry and cattle rustling among others as some of the biggest challenges threatening the peace and stability of the country.
Oloyede explained that the military was not winning the war against Boko Haram until it collaborated with the Civilian Joint Task Force, adding that collaboration with relevant stakeholders remained the key to sustaining peace in the country.
The National President, Society for Peace Studies and Practice, Dr. Nathaniel Danjibo, said that the need to ensure peace and security in the country was everybody’s business and that the concern of the society was anchored on formulating policies and programmes that could be deployed to further strengthen peace in the country.
The event witnessed the investiture of Arogbofa as one of the fellows of the society.
The retired general urged Nigerian youths to channel a better course for themselves rather than engaging in vices that could disrupt the peace of the country.
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