Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has urged residents to embrace peace, assuring them that security agencies are working with the state government to protect lives and property across the state.
The governor stated this in Benin on Monday at a programme organised by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to commemorate the International Day of Peace, with the theme, “Invest in Peace, for Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.”
Okpebholo, who was represented by the Commissioner for Security and Public Safety, Festus Ebea, said citizens should not become part of the problem but join others in finding solutions to insecurity.
He noted that his administration had been able to check the problem of cultism in the state, adding that bush combing by the police, in conjunction with other security agencies, had become a weekly exercise to check kidnapping across the state.
He called for the support of residents in the fight against criminality, noting that the government could not tackle the problem alone. He added that the governor had also established a special court to try suspected cultists and kidnappers.
The governor said President Bola Tinubu was also doing his best at the national level, calling on Nigerians to support the government’s efforts to rid the country of criminality.
“I will call on everyone to embrace peace in Edo and Nigeria because that is the only way the country can develop. The citizens also have to support the government’s effort to rid the society of criminal elements.”
The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Akintayo Ayinla, said the theme for this year’s commemoration, “Invest in Peace, Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday,” was both timely and instructive.
He noted that it reminded everyone that peace was not merely the absence of war, violence or conflict, but a continuous process that required deliberate investment in justice, dialogue, tolerance, human dignity, social inclusion and the protection of communities.
“Peace is an investment because every peaceful community creates an environment where individuals can pursue their aspirations, children can learn without fear, businesses can thrive, families can prosper, and governments can effectively deliver development.
“As security professionals, we understand that sustainable peace cannot be achieved by security agencies alone. It requires the collective responsibility of government, traditional institutions, religious bodies, civil society, the private sector, the media, families and, most importantly, individual citizens.
“The phrase, ‘Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday’ therefore places a responsibility on each of us. We must invest in peace in our homes, workplaces, schools, communities and places of worship. We must learn to resolve disagreements through dialogue rather than confrontation, reject hate and intolerance, protect vulnerable persons and promote respect for the rights and dignity of others.
“For the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, this responsibility is particularly significant. Our mandate places us at the forefront of protecting lives and critical national assets, maintaining public safety, supporting peaceful communities and contributing to the prevention of threats to national security.”
The Edo State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju, called on stakeholders across the state to treat peace as an investment rather than an accident, warning that lasting peace could not thrive in an environment where illicit drugs flourished.
He noted that drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking ranked among the greatest threats to peace globally, stressing that the fight against narcotics was inseparable from the pursuit of a peaceful society.
“At NDLEA, we know one fundamental truth: there can be no peace where illicit drugs thrive. When you invest in drug control, you are investing in peace. When you say no to drugs, you are saying yes to peace,” he stated.
The guest lecturer and Executive Director of the WOCAP Foundation for Women, Youths and Children Advocacy Initiative, Agatha Osieke, urged Nigerians to invest in peace wherever they lived in accordance with the theme.
She noted that peace was cheap, while disunity and war were more expensive to manage.
Former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Roland Owie, noted that peace could be achieved where justice reigned. He urged political leaders to ensure an equitable distribution of appointments, saying lopsided appointments could cause disunity in Edo State and the country.
The Chief Imam of Benin Central Mosque, Abdulfatai Enabulele, commended security agencies for their efforts in battling insecurity and urged the government to continue supporting them, noting that there could be no development without peace.
The Edo State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Apostle General Irekpono Omoike, who was represented by the state Secretary, Mark Ovie, said achieving peace in the country starts from the home.