Recently, Nigerians came out in their thousands to protest what they call “End to Hunger and Bad Governance”. It is only the sycophants that will not support this action. But be that as it may be, the President has failed to address the bone of contentions like wastage in the running of government activities.  

The President failed to address the issue of import duties on food and food items due to the present hunger in the land. The President having removed fuel subsidy over a year ago also failed to tell Nigerians how crude oil will be made available to our local refineries in Naira as promised at the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

We cannot allow international Oil Companies and NNPC or anyone to keep us in perpetual importation of refined petroleum products at high prices while we keep exporting our crude oil.

The president has also failed to address the long queue at all the filling stations across the country by making the petroleum products available at reasonable prices.

Availability of petroleum products will likely affect positively the price of food and commodities in our markets. The president also failed to address the issue concerning FIRS taxes and Electricity Bill which Nigerians are expecting the government to restructure and made conducive for business growth, manufacturing and production of local goods to avoid killing our local manufactures.

As Africa’s most populous country, largest economy, and biggest democracy, Nigeria needs strong institutions, a diversified economy and collective efforts to prevent conflicts and promote peace. 

Peace and security have been acknowledged all over the world as basic conditions necessary for sustainable national transformation. The growing interaction of societies on a worldwide scale demonstrates the overall need for peace and security.

There is a consensus among well-meaning Nigerians that there is a linkage between failure in governance, national transformation, sustainable development, insecurity and conflict.

Nigeria is a country endowed with abundant human and mineral resources which when properly harnessed and equitably distributed would ensure sustainable national transformation.

Over the years, there have been unrests in the country starting with the cracks in our political democratic system and the failure of Nigerian leaders to meet with the people’s needs, desires and hopes.

High levels of corruption among government or political office holders, violation of human rights, and regional and sectorial injustice prevalent in the country have created room for aggressive tendencies, violence, conflicts, crime and general insecurity in the nation.

The resultant effects of these have led to a downward trend of the economy and the failure in a sustainable national transformation agenda.  

The feeling of estrangement of Nigerians in their homeland is a source of worry to all patriotic Nigerians. If it is not the problem of Niger Delta, it is that of North-South dichotomy, or that of the minority group with the majority group or that of back stabbing of fellow Nigerians by their kits and kins or that of bastardization or scourge of democracy in the nation. 

Peace is a situation in which there is no war between countries or groups; a situation in which you are not annoyed by noise or other people; a state when you are calm and have no worries.

Peace is also the absence of war, fear, conflict, anxiety, suffering and violence. A situation where there is absence of violence or other disturbances within a state to ensure social, political and economic development could be regarded as a peaceful atmosphere. 

Peace is the key to sustainable national transformation. No nation boasts of development in the absence of peace. The relevance of peace entails development of stable economy, encouragement of unity as well as attraction of foreign investors.

Development of stable economy has to do with assurance of economic growth. Attraction of foreign investors will bring about establishment of industries and consequently lead to job creations. 

With peace, there is improvement in the quantity and quality of the nation’s factors of production. Peace encourages the improvement of infrastructural bases of the nation such as roads, electricity, water, schools, and hospitals among others to ensure a change in the standard of living of the citizenry.

Any nation with absence of unity as a result of violence and crime will not witness any appreciable national transformation. 

Malaysia would not have been where she is today without the willingness of a group of citizens who endangered their lives. Peace is the most important element for a nation’s success. It is the gateway to sustainable national transformation.

Calling for a new style of politics built on peace and non-violence, Pope Francis also called for disarmament, the eradication of nuclear weapons and an end to domestic violence and abuse against women and children. “Violence is not the cure for our broken world,” he said in his annual message for the World Day of Peace. “It is a challenge to build up society, communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers.

It is to show mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment or seek to win at any cost,” he added. The message, released by the Vatican, said building a world of peace requires a “willingness to face conflict head-on, to resolve it” and to make it part of a new process of choosing solidarity and building friendships. “Active non-violence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and more fruitful than conflict,” the Pope said.

While differences will sometimes lead to difficulties, “let us face them constructively and non-violently,” so that tension and opposition can turn into “diversified and life-giving unity,” preserving “what is valid and useful on both sides.”

It is then important to banish violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming non-violent people and to build non-violent communities that care for our common home.

Building a new politics of non-violence starts in the human heart and the home which starts from the immediate family. It is in the family that people can learn how to communicate, be generous and caring, and resolve conflicts not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness.

From within the family, the joy of love spills out into the world and radiates to the whole of society.  

This ethics of fraternity and peaceful coexistence can never be based on the logic of fear, violence and closed-mindedness, but on responsibility, respect and sincere dialogue. Peace alone is holy. Peace alone is holy, not war!

God Bless Nigeria!!!