Peacepro urges presidential candidates to incorporate peacebuilding plan to heal Nigeria

A peacebuilding organisation, Foundation for Peace Professionals, also known as PeacePro, has called on presidential candidates of all political parties in Nigeria to incorporate peacebuilding plan in their respective manifesto to heal the nation if elected president.

Peacepro noted that there must be healing, reconciliation and genuine conversation around issues hurting different sections of the country for the nation to make genuine progress in her quest for good governance.

In a statement by the executive Director of Peacepro, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, stated that any government that is able to mobilide significant population of the country around issues of peacebuilding will achieve tremendous success in governance.

According to Hamzat, the issues that led to Nigeria’s civil war in 1966 and those after are part of the fundamental challenges holding Nigeria back from progress.

“We must recognise that people, whose tribal and family members were cruelly murdered in the first coup, counter coup, pogrom, civil war and the various riots and organised criminality are still hurting the nation,” Hamzat said, adding they are front line victims still hurting from the pains of the past.

Hamzat maintained that Nigeria as a country should offer specific apology and if possible relief to these set of victims and a national apology to all Nigerians, who may have been directly or indirectly affected by the unfortunate incidents.

“This singular action will begin the process of leading Nigeria to civil peace,” Hamzat said.

Hamzat further explained that Peacepro had since identified national peacebuilding as a necessity to prevent continuous self sabotage in the country.

This realisation made the organisation develop national peacebuilding plan, which it has continued to preach to leaders for consideration in the interest of the country.

“As Nigeria approaches the 2023 general election, we are therefore using this opportunity to call on leading presidential candidates, including Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the ruling party and Atiku Abubakar of the major opposition, including candidates of other political parties to consider the adoption of a national peacebuilding strategy as cornerstone to our quest for good governance,” Hamzat said.