By JIDAUNA DARING
THE Director General of the Plateau State Peace Building Agency (PPBA), Dr Julie Sanda, has called on citizens to continue strengthening bonds of unity and peace across the state.
Sanda made the call during a road walk from Secretariat Junction to Old Airport Junction, Jos, organised as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Peace Day in the state.
The International Peace Day is celebrated globally on September 21, and the theme for this year’s event was, ‘Act now for a peaceful world’.
Sanda expressed appreciation to groups that participated in the road walk, which was aimed at sensitising citizens on the importance of peace as a foundation for social development.
She reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to initiating programmes and activities that foster peace, assuring partners of continuous collaboration in peacebuilding efforts.
The Director General disclosed that the agency was also focusing on empowering women and youth in the peacebuilding process.
She added: “We have a good working relationship with the Plateau Youth Council (PYC) in peace building.”
Head of Project, German Corporation (GIZ), Marian Wadreago, reiterated the organisation’s belief in advocating for an inclusive society and pledged continued support for the promotion of peace and harmony in the state.
Also speaking, President of the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network (PPPN), Mr Nanmah Bali, noted that everyone was a stakeholder with collective responsibility in building a peaceful society.
In an interview with THE NIGERIA STANDARD, some participants in the road walk expressed joy and gratitude to the organisers for bringing people from diverse organisations together for the event.
They pledged to spread the message of forgiveness and tolerance, declaring that “what peace can give, violence cannot give to anyone.”
Our correspondent reports that some of the inscriptions on placards carried during the road walk included: ‘There is no peace in a polluted planet,” “Play for unity’, ‘Live in peace’, ‘No peace without environmental justice’, ‘Strengthening bonds, promoting peace’, ‘The power of sport and sport as a catalyst for unity’, and ‘Choose peace every day’, among others.