20th September, 2017
An ecologist, Mr Richard Inyamkume, on Wednesday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for imploring the United Nations to lead a delegation to engage the North Korea on nuclear armament for sustainable peace.
Inyamkume, Senior Programme Officer, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Initiative, made the commendation in Abuja.
The ecologist was reacting to Buhari’s address to the 72nd UN General Assembly Tuesday’s evening in New York.
“President must be commended for imploring the International community to promote sustainable peace by engaging all necessary forms of pressure and diplomatic efforts to bear on the North Korean President to accept a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
“As an environmentalist, I understand the depth of a nuclear war engagement and the corresponding devastation that this may have on our environment, ecosystems and biodiversity.
“I am particularly happy with his recommendation to the UN as contained in his address, and I am hoping and praying that the crisis should be nipped in the bud to save this generation from experiencing the scourge of war.
“The stage we are in currently in international development and growth is a stage that nations should be discussing the implementation of protocols and agreements that will promote a peaceful and sustainable environment for all.
“We cannot afford to kill one another and destroy the beautiful environment and natural species again because we have learnt from history how barbaric it was to have raised a hand of destruction on another person.
“We should see life as sacred and treat it as priceless and of esteem worth in all ramifications, including nature in general,’’ he said.
According to him, if the UN fails to act now, no amount of time, resources and energy will be enough to revive whatever may be lost after the war.
Inyamkume, who described Buhari’s speech as powerful, persuasive and rationally compelling international community to sustain global peace, said the president’s speech at the UNGA was worth commendation.
He said the speech would influence the actualisation of a peaceful and sustainable international community in line with the 2017 UNGA’s theme entitled “Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet’’.
“Today, the world’s challenges have become enormous, ranging from human rights violations, environmental degradation, gross inequality and poverty, to mention a few.
“The present threat to international peace and security however, reminds the most urgent global challenge which our president was able to carefully bring to the fore with suggestions.
“I believe that these suggestions will go a long way in resolving the existing crisis, particularly between North Korea and the U.S.,’’ he said.