Traditional rulers and youths in Delta State have sued for peace and unity, stressing that development can only take place where peace, unity and justice are allowed to play in the affairs of the people.

The Okpalauku General and the Onutu General of Obiaruku, headquarters of Ukwuani Local Government Area, HRH Nwaonoku Agagaraga, and Chief Francis Odniy Amudo respectively, said peace was a necessary ingredient for any community to move from its present state to the next level.

The duo who were visited by the youths of Ndokwa communities under the auspices of Coalition of Ndokwa Peace Ambassadors (CONPA), during a campaign for peace, insisted that development cannot be divorced from peace, hence the campaign undertaken by the youths to orientate youths of the area to embrace peace was necessary and good.

The traditional leaders emphasized the need for youths whom the campaign is more targeted due to their vulnerability to violence and youthful exuberance, to embrace peace and create opportunity for development in Ndokwa communities.

The leaders and other community members, who spoke to our correspondent, decried the unwholesome general attitude of youths, with special reference to cultism and communal violence which they described as being inimical to growth and development in communities.

According to the Onotu General, “The movement undertaken by CONPA is a good one. We appreciate the efforts of the youths as they are soliciting peace and development in our communities. Cultism is now declining due to different campaigns in Ndokwa land. But the peace movement should not be restricted to traditional rulers, you should locate youth leaders to be part of the campaign so that it will be all inclusive.

“We love what you are doing. When everybody is at peace, you sleep without locking your doors. When there is peace in a community, there is no chaos, everybody goes about their business unmolested and undisturbed. So, we appreciate what you are doing and happy to have you with us.”

President of the CONPA, Comrade Alex Chukwuka Uboh, said the essence of the campaign was to sensitise the youths of the area to embrace peace in the state, stressing that rather than youths resorting to violence, he said dialogue was a better option to finding solutions to conflicts.

Comrade Uboh, who led the youths round the communities of Umutu, Obiaruku, Amai and others in Ukwuani Local Government Area, called on all government officials, churches, associations and all groups to see peace as a collective efforts of all stakeholders in the state project.

He said: “On our part as a social change group, we will take responsibility to educate the growing youth population in Ndokwa land. We will engage them by means of consultation and counseling and also advise them to embrace peace and address issues through dialogue. We believe that it is only through dialogue that problems can be resolved.”

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