‘Global Crises Have Displaced 25 Million People’

It is now known that more than 25 million people are displaced from their homes as a result of hostilities and rising spate of insecurity that plague so many places in the world.

The former Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu, Port Harcourt, Prof. Simeon C. Achinewu made this known at the celebration of this year’s United Nations Day for Peace in Port Harcourt.

The celebration was hosted by the Rivers state chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) last Wednesday.

Prof. Achinewhu who is the UPF Regional President for Niger Delta and the South-East, said in his welcome address presented by Dame Tonye Dombraye, that tens of thousand of women are also brutalized by sexual violence, one of the most horrendous aspects of today’s conflict.

He said time has come for national leaders and lovers of peace to reflect on the horror and cost of war or crises, stressing the need to resolve disputes peacefully.

According to him, September 21 every year is celebrated as International Day of Peace designed to take stock of efforts at promoting peace and wellbeing of all people worldwide.

He, therefore called on all combatants to embrace peace saying that, “as the guns fall silent, we should use this opportunity to ponder over the price we all pay due to conflicts, and we should resolve to vigorously pursue ways to make permanent peace”.

He said that the promise to build world peace should not just be a priority but a passion, and advised the new Ambassadors of Peace to preach and practice peace in the family, communities, state and the nation.

About 25 personalities were inducted as Ambassadors of Peace. One of the awardees, Sir Polycarp Ndountengi in an interview with The Tide expressed gratitude for the honour, saying it was a wake up call for them to be instruments in building peace in the society.

Sir Ndounteng called on all warring communities and nations to lay down their arms and embrace peace and non-violence in the interest of development.