A former Head of State, retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar has called on Nigerians to raise the bar of peace in all their endeavors. He made the remarks at the second General Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation Annual Peace Lecture on Saturday in Minna, Niger State. He said Nigeria is walking a tightrope as regard peace and security, while advocating for urgent measures to prevent the rope from snapping midway. 

The former Nigerian leader said the theme for the lecture, “Good politics at the service of peace: The role of eminent persons in the prevention and management of conflict” was apt in view of the discontents and tension that trailed the last general elections. “As we commemorate the International Day of Peace, we must raise the bar of peace and always walk the long to peace in all endeavors,” he noted.

He observed that the current tensed situation require collective efforts by all the country’s stakeholders to prevent it from boiling over. “We cannot bequeath chaos, disunity, a state of insecurity and hopelessness to the future generations of Nigerians,” he pointed out. 

Abubakar urged youths to embrace the virtues of tolerance, fairness and respect for human dignity and avoid vices that disrupt sustainable peace and development. Speaking on “climate change for peace” which is the theme of this year’s International Day for Peace, the former head of state said the dwindling natural resources has further exacerbated the conflict. 

Delivering his lecture at the event, Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello advocated for dialogue in resolving conflicts instead of military option which he pointed out further exacerbates crisis rather than resolving them. He decried the rising insecurity across the country with each region experiencing its peculiar crisis, while calling on stakeholders to come with urgent measures to tackling the roots of the menace. He also called on the media to play the role of peace makers and nation builders by playing down on hate speeches.