17th July, 2021
The National Chairman, Nelson Mandela Noble Peace Award Board, Dr Chuks Alozie, said the former Chief of Army Staff, (COAS) retired Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, will be the chairman of the National Peace Summit (NPS) 2021.
Alozie made the announcement during a courtesy visit to Ihejirika on Saturday in Abuja.
He however, noted that the programme was basically designed to bring people together in ensuring peace and harmony in the country.
The National Peace Summit is a maiden edition slated for October 2021.
Alozie said that it was no longer a hidden fact that Nigeria was in need of peace, adding that peace had become a necessity.
He noted that there should be a collective bargaining by all stakeholders of the Nigeria project, hence the visit to the former COAS.
The National Chairman of the Nelson Mandela Noble Peace Award said that the NPS would be organised in most troubled states in Nigeria, among other states that were affected by security challenges.
‘’We are here to brief you about the forthcoming programme, which will be presided by the Chairman, Founder American University for Global Peace USA, His Eminence, Prof. Madhu Krishan.
“We are here to also seek for your consent to be part of this forth coming event and asked that you be the chairman of the occasion.
“As an ambassador of peace, we trust that you believe in a united Nigeria and have continuously supported veritable channels of sustainable stability of Nigeria and her peace.
“His eminence as an international peacebuilder has offered to visit Nigeria for a National Peace Building Mission.
“This is timely in the event of incessant killings of innocent Nigerians, the tenacity of banditry, kidnapping, farmers and herders’ clash, poverty ravaging our communities and secessionist agitations.
“All these and many more anti-people and anti-government activities fuel and create insecurity in Nigeria, which need collective and strategic planning and approach to stem the tide,” he said.
In his response, Ihejirika said that he was honoured to have been chosen to be part of the program, while assuring the team of his support and presence at the National Peace Summit.