Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has attributed the rising conflicts in the country to the impact of climate change on the people.
He said this during the 2nd General Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation Annual Peace Lecture organised to commemorate the International Day of Peace in Minna on Saturday.
The event was tagged “Good Politics at the Services of Peace: The Role of Eminent Persons in the Prevention and Management of Conflict in Nigeria”.
Abubakar explained that climate change had led to soil erosion, environmental degradation, dwindling water resources and natural disaster which culminated into high competition for scarce resources.
“We cannot bequeath chaos, disunity, a state of insecurity and hopelessness to the future generation. We must raise the bar of peace and always walk the long road to peace in all our endeavours,” he said.
He called on the youths to be tolerant, fair, and to respect human dignity and avoid vices that could disrupt sustainable peace and development in the country.
In his lecture, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger identified climate change as a threat that had destabilised communities over rights to natural resources.
He called on eminent persons in various parts of the country to come up with the best approach to reduce and manage conflicts in the country.
“Peace entails collective efforts in order to ensure safety and security at all levels. We all have a role to play, we must all dialogue for the survival of the country.
“Peace building and security management is everybody’s business, it is our collective responsibility to provide peace and not government alone.
“Conflicts management and prevention is every individual’s responsibilities, government and individuals must play their parts, we should caution ourselves in the promotion of culture of peace,” he said.
Also, Prof. Laraba Abdullahi, Chairperson of the occasion and former Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, said that sustainable development was an essential component for peace.
She noted that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping had continued to be the greatest threat to peace that most political actors were yet to address.
