ABUJA – The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has inaugurated its anti-violence social campaign tagged, “Do the Right Thing, Wage Peace 2015.”
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NOA, Mr Mike Omeri, stated that the campaign was meant to educate Nigerians on the need to eschew violence before, during and after the forthcoming elections.
According to him, the campaign provides the platform to bring together all stakeholders and advocate for peaceful, violence-free 2015 election.
“I believe that what we are doing here today and what we will do in the coming weeks before and after the elections will greatly impact on the desired violence free election outcome irrespective of who wins at the polls.
“The Do the Right Thing, Wage-Peace 2015 campaign was drawn from the need to give Nigerians confidence and re-programme the minds of Nigerians towards a violence-free election.
“The idea of bringing different stakeholders together to push this message is to produce the biggest collation for peace among Nigerians to Do the Right Thing Wage-Peace before, during and after the elections.’’
According to Omeri, one of such ways to avoid violence is for the populace to obey simple instructions from security agents and be polite to them, especially in times of crisis.
“We shall counter and drown the drums of war by beating the drums of peace; and we urge Nigerians to join us in this effort,” he added.?
?The Minister of Culture, Tourism and National Orientation, Mr Edem Duke, underscored the fact that stakeholders had expressed genuine fears over a possible breakdown of law and order within the period of the elections.
Represented by Mrs Gloria Abumere, he said, “We have a sacred duty as leaders in various spheres to advocate for peaceful, violence-free election for our country men and women.
“If the process is marred by violence, we will all suffer in the long run.
“It is in this vein that I call on all stakeholders to robustly support this campaign tagged, ‘’Do the Right Thing Wage-Peace 2015.’’
“We have often heard of people waging war, the clarion call in the building-up to the 2015 elections is for all Nigerians to ‘wage peace.’
“Our country needs peace now more than any other time in our national evolution. It is only in a peaceful atmosphere that we can grow our nascent democracy,’’ he said.
In her goodwill message, the leader of the Association of Abuja Market Women, Mrs Felicia Sani, said that waging peace was a collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
She urged women, who in particular constituted the greatest number of displaced persons in refugee camps in the country, to embrace peace.