FORMER president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has advised President
Goodluck Jonathan to accord national security priority attention because
no meaningful development is possible in a climate of chaos and
persistent violence.
As a piece of advise, he urged the Federal Government to embark on the sensitisation of youths, village heads, religious leaders and politicians as a way to curtail the growing spate of insecurity induced by the Boko Haram sect in the country.
Chief Obasanjo gave the advice in an address at a national conference on culture, peace and national security organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in Abuja.
Represented by the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the former president said such sensiti-sation would cultivate the spirit of collective responsibility in the people and encourage them to take active interest in ensuring peace and security.
He attributed growing violent conflicts in the country to poverty, unemployment, religious intolerance and ethnic rivalry.
Also speaking on the occasion, the executive secretary of NICO, Dr Baclays Ayakoroma, described the violence in the socio-political and economic life of the country as symptomatic of cultural disorientation of the citizens.
In another remark, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said all segments of the Nigerian society should be educated to appreciate the nexus between culture of peace and national development.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan, on Monday, vowed that his administration will stop the acts of terrorism being unleashed on Nigerians and the nation by the terror group.
He also called for a stronger legislation against campus cultism and examination malpractices, in order to rid the institutions of needless violence.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, while declaring open the national conference on strategies for eradicating cultism in Nigerian educational institutions, in Abuja, condoled with the students and teachers as well as members of the Bayero University, Kano, who were the victims of a recent attack by the terrorists, saying that the disruption of peace in any part of the country was condemnable.
He said the situation was more disturbing “when a sacred environment such as the ivory tower is violated. This administration will continue to do everything within its powers to ensure that no one, either terrorists or cultists, is allowed to impose a regime of fear on our collective psyche.”
Jonathan said the Federal Government, on its part, would take urgent steps to constitute the National Action Committee on Anti-Cultism Campaign (NACACC), as recommended by the National Council on Education.
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayatu Ahmed Rufa’i, in her remark, said school cultism was a challenge for Nigeria, while she enjoined participants to brainstorm and come up with remedy that would assist government in eradicating the menace.
As a piece of advise, he urged the Federal Government to embark on the sensitisation of youths, village heads, religious leaders and politicians as a way to curtail the growing spate of insecurity induced by the Boko Haram sect in the country.
Chief Obasanjo gave the advice in an address at a national conference on culture, peace and national security organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in Abuja.
Represented by the national secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the former president said such sensiti-sation would cultivate the spirit of collective responsibility in the people and encourage them to take active interest in ensuring peace and security.
He attributed growing violent conflicts in the country to poverty, unemployment, religious intolerance and ethnic rivalry.
Also speaking on the occasion, the executive secretary of NICO, Dr Baclays Ayakoroma, described the violence in the socio-political and economic life of the country as symptomatic of cultural disorientation of the citizens.
In another remark, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke, said all segments of the Nigerian society should be educated to appreciate the nexus between culture of peace and national development.
Meanwhile, President Jonathan, on Monday, vowed that his administration will stop the acts of terrorism being unleashed on Nigerians and the nation by the terror group.
He also called for a stronger legislation against campus cultism and examination malpractices, in order to rid the institutions of needless violence.
Jonathan, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, while declaring open the national conference on strategies for eradicating cultism in Nigerian educational institutions, in Abuja, condoled with the students and teachers as well as members of the Bayero University, Kano, who were the victims of a recent attack by the terrorists, saying that the disruption of peace in any part of the country was condemnable.
He said the situation was more disturbing “when a sacred environment such as the ivory tower is violated. This administration will continue to do everything within its powers to ensure that no one, either terrorists or cultists, is allowed to impose a regime of fear on our collective psyche.”
Jonathan said the Federal Government, on its part, would take urgent steps to constitute the National Action Committee on Anti-Cultism Campaign (NACACC), as recommended by the National Council on Education.
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqqayatu Ahmed Rufa’i, in her remark, said school cultism was a challenge for Nigeria, while she enjoined participants to brainstorm and come up with remedy that would assist government in eradicating the menace.
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