The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, yesterday called on women to preach peace and unity to their children and wards for the development of the country.

Dame Jonathan made the call in Lagos at a rally organised by Women for Change and Development Initiative, a non-governmental organisation.

“While it is your legitimate right to demand for development, it is clear that no meaningful development can be achieved without peace and the safety of lives and property.

“It is therefore, not enough to talk about peace, we must believe in it; it is also not enough to believe in it, we must work for it and we must achieve it.

“As virtuous women, I enjoin you all to help preach the message of peace and unity to your husbands and children. They must all reject all forms of violence and shun evil companies,’’ she said.

She charged politicians to focus more on the imperatives of peace and safety as well as to deliver their electoral promises.

“It is an unfortunate irony that while politicians seek access to power with promises to provide security, safety of lives and property, effective health care and functional infrastructure, these same values have remained major challenges today, she said ’’

She said that it was everybody’s business to save Nigeria from the agonies of avoidable wars, adding that this could only be achieved through mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness.

Also speaking at the rally, the wife of the Senate President, Mrs Helen Mark, thanked women for the support they gave to President Goodluck Jonathan during the April 2011 general elections.

“Women should go home today with pride for the support they gave to Jonathan during the April 2011 elections because the election brought to fore a good man,’’ she said.

She enjoined women to be agents of peace by ensuring that their children were taught  the value of securing lives and property.

Our correspondent reports that the first lady visited Lagos State to propagate peace and to thank women in the state who voted for her husband in the April 2011 election.

The Tide correspondent reports that other dignitaries, who spoke at the rally, were the Minister for Women Affairs, Hajia Zainab Maina, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa and Mrs Nkechi Mba, President National Council of Women Societies, among others.