Maintain peace in your respective areas — Kwara NSCDC Commandant

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara Command, has called on leaders, both at local and national levels, to maintain peace in their respective areas.

The NSCDC Commandant in the state, Umar Mohammed, made the call on Wednesday in Ilorin, during the commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Peace.

Mohammed urged Nigerians to always maintain peace and live in unity among themselves, the neighbouring countries and the world at large.

“If anything happens to your neighbours at home, nearby states or countries, it will, in one way or the other, affect you as well.

“Therefore, let us try as much as possible to be good, nice and helpful to one another at all times,” he said.

The commandant urged all the security agencies to maintain peace in discharging their official duties as well as have the fear of Allah and be faithful in their areas of duty.

A resource person, Florence Adeyemi, who delivered a lecture on: “Role of NSCDC in Understanding Peace and Conflict,” described peace as the absence of war and violence.

Adeyemi, a Deputy Commandant of Corps (DCC) and the command’s Head of Peace and Conflict Resolution Unit, said that there must be justice in order to achieve peace in any nation.

According to her, peace is the path that brings growth and prosperity to the society, adding that without peace, there won’t be political strength, economic stability and cultural growth.

“To maintain peace is not an individual responsibility but the duty of everyone dwelling in the society,” she said.

Another speaker from Rotary International Club, Mrs Christy Abayomi said that according to UNESCO, “war starts from the mind on individual,” adding that peace also starts from individual’s mind.

“We must first work on the mental health of an individual in order to be at peace with himself, then his neighbours and the country at large,” she said.

Abayomi reiterated that internal peace was the most important aspect of peace building, adding that there was the need to start peace from individual to the community, the nation and the world at large.

“Internal peace will lead to external peace and a total peace in the world,” she said.

Also speaking, Deputy Commandant (DC) Idowu Lawrence urged the people of the state to stay in peace, maintain unity and be security conscious.

He prayed for total peace and unity in the state and the nation in general.