A civil society organisation (CSO), Connected Development, has urged Nigerians to declare a ‘no tolerance on violence’ in order to guarantee peaceful coexistence in the country.
The Executive Director of Connected Development (CODE), Amb. Hamzat Lawal, made the call at a peaceful rally with Christians, Muslims and community leaders on Saturday in Okene, Kogi state.
According to him, the rally is meant to declare ‘no tolerance on violence’ in Nigeria, ahead of 2023 general elections.
He said that for Nigerians to enjoy peace and tranquility, especially during elections, the citizens must ensure that they don’t tolerate violence.
“What we need in this country is national cohesion. We need to continue to dialogue among ourselves for peaceful coexistence”
“As we go into the 2023 general elections, both holy books; the Bible and the Quran, have enjoined us to pray for our leaders so that they can succeed because their successes are the sources of our enjoyment and progress,” Lawal said.
He appealed to religious leaders to offer special prayers for leaders at all levels in order to get the inspiration and direction to lead the people into prosperity.
“As we go into the election, we must do away with all forms of sentimental issues capable of dividing the people. We must talk about issues that affect us as Nigerians so that our leaders can address those issues.
”Ethnicity and religious sentiments cannot take us anywhere and as such we should shun them in the interest of the country,” Lawal said.
In his remarks, the President of Ebira Agenda, known for championing peaceful coexistence in Kogi central, Alhaji Yusuf Andas, commended Lawal for the peace rally.
Andas assured that they would not relent in their struggle in ensuring that the people of the district live and dwell in peace.
“We all know that without peace, nothing can be achieved. The effects of crises are heavy to bear because you can know where and when it started but you may not know where and when it will end.
”Therefore, it behoves on every citizen to shun issues that can cause crises in our communities,” Andas said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the peace walk which witnessed a huge turnout, began from Okene GRA and terminated at Okene Local Government Secretariat; a distance of five kilometers. (NAN)
