Anambra peace committee, others stage walk for violent-free guber election

Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka

A group of peace advocates on Saturday staged a peace walk in the streets of Awka, Anambra State capital, to promote a peaceful and violent-free governorship election in the state.

The peace rally was organized by the Anambra Peace and Mediation Working Committee formed by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), in collaboration with the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), and other peace-oriented groups in the state.

The event, held in commemoration of the United Nations World Peace Day themed “Act Now For A Peaceful World,” celebrated annually on September 21, drew public attention to the need for calm and tolerance in the electoral process.

Bearing placards and banners with different inscriptions including: “Avoid all forms of electoral violence”, “Avoid hate speech during campaigns”, “Avoid thuggery and kidnapping for ransom”, “Avoid cultism and other related crimes,”they walked from UNIZIK Temp. Site through Arroma junction to Ekwueme Square in the capital city.

Addressing journalists, Prof. Chukwuemeka Jaja Nwanegbo, Director of the Institute for Peace, Security and Development Studies, UNIZIK, explained that the peace walk aimed to send a strong signal to stakeholders to prioritize peace during the Anambra state governorship election. He also said it was to urge political players to give peace a chance, avoid hate speech, and embrace politics of ideology and development.

“Our rally is a peace-building initiative, aimed at promoting peace during this critical period. Since the International Day of Peace falls on Sunday, we decided to hold the event today. We adjusted our theme to “Act Now for A Peaceful Anambra Election” to spread the message of peace across the State.

“The key message is that the state’s interests should take precedence over individual interests or aspirations. Unfortunately, the election process has turned toxic due to the desire for power. Our appeal is for everyone to prioritize peace and conduct the election in a way that ensures the state’s continued existence and harmony after the polls.”

Immediate Past Vice President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and a member of the Anambra State Peace Committee, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, described peace as the bedrock of development. He appealed for calm and tolerance during the election, urging the public to watch their utterances and promote humility and discipline during the election.

“We are a peaceful state and this is a critical time that we watch our utterances and make sure that we send a message of humility, discipline and tolerance in the coming election. We can’t expect it to be perfect but to minimize the incidents and have 80 percent of peaceful conduct in the election.”

International President of the UN Peace and Positive Living Awareness Centre, Ambassador Festus Ozoemena, stressed that peace is priceless and critical to human and societal development, adding that inner peace is fundamental as it translates to community peace that goes further to positively affect the larger society.

“The peace walk is to send a strong signal to the public and stakeholders at all levels of governance. We want to emphasize that peace is critical in every election because without peace, issues of litigation often arise after the electoral process.

“In light of the forthcoming Anambra election, we urge our political players to give peace a chance, refrain from hate speech, assaults, and casting aspersions on opponents, and instead focus on ideology and development, ensuring they play by the rules.”

Another Partner, Ndu Nwokolo, described peace as paramount, likening it to a marriage that requires nurturing. He emphasized the need for peace in the forthcoming election, noting that the region has regressed in recent years, with the Southeast transforming from the country’s safest region to a place people now avoid visiting.

Secretary of the KDI’s Peace Committee, Ugochi Freeman said initiatives like peace walks and stakeholder engagements are vital in promoting peaceful and credible elections, underscoring the need for collective action to ensure free, fair, and credible polls.