Regina Otokpa 
The President of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Archbishop Daniel Okoh and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’adu Abu- bakar III have listed items needed by the country to sustain peaceful co-existence.
The two prominent religious leaders admonished youths across the country to always strive to be agents and ambassador for peace at all times by shunning vices that would be inimical to the development of Nigeria.
They made the call in Abuja yesterday at a peace week conference organised by UFUK Dialogue, the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim Student Society.
Speaking at the event, Okoh who expressed regret that youths were often used as agents of crisis and mayhem, said the peace week will afford them an opportunity to be converted into champions of peace.
He said: “All over the world, it is impossible to discuss peace without taking into consideration the role of the youth in sustaining peace. “Youths play a vital role in peace-building and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria.
Youths are the greatest assets that any nation can have.” According to him, youths as future leaders must be well-guided and groomed for leadership positions in different spheres of life.
Okoh said: “It is better to assist youths in channel- L-R: Political Adviser, British Deputy High Commission in Lagos, Mr. Adewale Adebajo; the new British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Secretary to the Lagos Government (SSG), Mr. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Soyannwo, during the British envoy’s courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Marina…
yesterday PHOTO: LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT ing their exuberant energies into productive ventures than to allow them to develop skills for violence and other aberrant behaviors.
“Be champion of peace by defending your rights to religious freedom and at the same time, protecting the rights of the people of the other faiths from being violated. “Refrain from sharing and spreading fake news that devalue others particularly in this era of advanced communication tools like the Internet.
“Misguided use of the internet has the potential to trigger unmitigable violence just at the touch of a button,” he said. “We all must join the fight against discrimination, mass poverty, tribalism, ethnic profiling, and all other forms of injustice and exclusion that stifle our freedom and engender hatred for one another.
“Nigerian youth must have a change in character and value; this must be- gin with repentance; and resistance to all forms of corruption and parochial tendencies that are inimical to nation building and accelerated development.
“People from both religions in the country, particularly the youth must devise a means to hold each other accountable for their actions and inactions by engaging non-violent communication in order to ensure peaceful co-existence.
“We must be sincere in our conversations with one another and in our response to existential issues that are likely to break this country.” The Sultan of Sokoto who was represented by one of his aides, Mallam Isah Ibrahim Hassan, said: “As youths, we can work to ensure peace in Nigeria by protecting one another, regardless of our religious differences.
“While the elites in Nigeria are highly united, they tend to deviate when it comes to politics, based on differences in interests and positions, regardless of political party affiliations. “My fellow youths, we cannot sit idly by and watch our future be destroyed by the so-called elites.
We should not allow ourselves to be used as tools to harm one another. similarly, President of UFUK Dialogue Foundation, Emrah Ilgen, said: “Peace is not merely the absence of war, but a state of well-being and peacefulness where all individuals can succeed.
The Peace Week Conference is a significant event aimed at fostering unity and harmony among various religious communities and promoting peace in society
