By Sani Idris

Rev. Joshua Achir, the Director, Development and Peace Initiative (DPI) Kaduna, has called on people to work together to create an enabling environment for peace to thrive in our society.

Achir made the call on Tuesday in Kaduna.at an event to mark the 55th World Day of Peace with the theme “Dialogue Between Generations, Education and Work: Tools for Building Lasting Peace ‘.

According to him, people must dialogue by listening to one another, share views, reach agreement and work together to enable peace to have permanent root in our societies.

He said dialogue between generations built peace and noted that teaching and education were drivers of peace, as scribed by Pope Francis.

“In Pope Francis reflection, he stated that peace is both a gift from God and the fruit of a shared commitment.

“All can work together to build a more peaceful world, starting from the hearts of individuals and relationships in the family, then within the society and with the environment and to relationships between people and nations”.

Achir explained that the year’s message for peace was the latest in a long tradition of messages for the day that began with St. Paul VI in 1967 and continued with St. John Paul ll, Pope Benedict XVl, and Pope Francis.

Also, the Vice Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna, Rev. Chris Annger, said all the association preaches is peace

He pointed out that God had given humans the gospel of reconciliation.

“We are completely in support of peace, wherever it is coming from because it is only in peace that development can be achieved and experienced and every individual needs it to move from one point to another in life,” he said.

Annger condemned the spate of insecurity challenges being experienced in parts of the country, pointing out that they had hampered the cardinal point of peace.

At the event witnessed by students, community members and various religious leaders, beneficiaries who were taught various skills by the JDPC were given starter packs and issued certificates of participation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that DPI, an NGO of the Catholic Church, is also known Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC). (NAN)

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Wike refuses to confirm his presidential ambition, says he has election strategy

BAYO WAHAB

February 2, 2022 5:46 AM

Wike did not deny or confirm nursing the ambition to lead Nigeria.

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike [PDP]

As presidential hopefuls continue to announce their intentions to join the 2023 presidential race, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, refused to confirm his presidential ambition.

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Speaking on Politics Today, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, Wike dodged a question on whether he has a presidential ambition or not.

The governor, however, did not deny or confirm nursing the ambition to lead Nigeria.

When asked if he was running for president, Wike replied: “When is the time limit within which a person can declare to run or not to run? Is there a particular time limit that you can declare (ambition), so that let it not be said that ‘if you don’t declare tomorrow, you may be late?’”

When the governor was reminded about other aspirants who are already declaring their intention to run, he questioned the anchors about the appropriate place to announce his intention.

“So, if I want to declare to run, I must do it before Channels Television; I will not do it before my people?” He asked.

“I’ve always told people that everybody has their own strategy. If I want to run for election, I have my own strategy. If you want to run for election, you have your own strategy. No doubt, people believe that by my performance, I am likely to run. There is no doubt about the belief of the people. But if I want to run for election, everybody will know that I want to run; I will tell Nigerians that today, I am declaring that I want to run for election.”

Wike further said he works with people, saying before announcing his intention, he will have to sit and review everything with them.

“So, it is when we have sat down and reviewed everything, and we believe that ‘yes, we think we can do this; we think we cannot do that.’ That is the way I operate. I don’t operate in isolation,” he said.

Meanwhile, it’s been reported that the former Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is considering Wike as his running mate in the upcoming presidential election.

Although Atiku is yet to formally declare his interest in the 2023 presidential race, Raymond Dokpesi, the head of Atiku’s presidential campaign technical committee, has been urging Nigerians to give the former VP a chance to rule the country.