A non-governmental organisation, Rivers State Peace Initiative, has called on political parties to embrace peace for the development of the state and the nation.

The group’s Convener, Obinna Ebogidi, made the call during a town hall meeting organised by the group in collaboration with the Centre for Peace and Security Studies in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

Mr Ebogidi said that the meeting tagged, “the Rivers We Want,” was aimed at igniting a new chapter centred on peace, unity and progress for the state.

He said that Rivers had become a hive of political activities in conflicts and disagreements which, from the onset, looked like conflict between two parties, but with time started escalating and affecting other areas of lives.

He said, “We saw it begin to stifle our businesses; we saw it begin to distract the governance in the state. There is a need for us to talk about the issues that have to do with governance, growth, development, promotion of the economy and other issues of concern.’’

Mr Ebogidi urged political actors in the state to close ranks and consider the wellbeing of the people as they played politics.

According to him, the group is using the opportunity to appeal to Rivers people to stop being an army of followers who encourage some of the crisis the state.

He stated, ‘’We want them to know that politics is not everything; we must come to the point where we have to tell ourselves the truth. And that the kind of resources that comes into this state, if it is rightly and judiciously appropriated, we won’t have a high rate of unemployment and cases of insecurity.’’

Director, Centre for Peace and Security Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Martin Ifeanacho, urged the people not to grow fallow because of the level of violence and the emphasis on crude oil yield.

In his keynote address, Mr Ifeanacho, said that the oil was less than 40 per cent to what Rivers State had compared to tourism, and industries.

“Rivers State can make enough money to sustain the state; our state can kick start the industrial revolution in Nigeria, We have so many resources that we need to put together and showcase to the world. We have to stop allowing things that do not matter to becloud our imagination; why should we have violence in politics?’’

According to him, being a democratic nation, Nigeria can do voting in peace, and have leaders who are ready to serve if they win.

Mr Ifeanacho urged the political elites to live simply to enable other Nigerians who were poor to survive.

He said that the state needed peace to be a home where no harm would come to anyone and the youth would be educated.

He stated that the money put together for crime and crisis could not amount to what the state could gain from being peaceful where development could thrive.

Mr Ifeanacho stressed the need for the people of the state to come down from their ‘’high horses’’ and discuss as a people to channel their trajectory well to ensure their comforts and that of future generations.

The Team Leader, People’s Advancement Centre in Nigeria, Celestin Akpobari, said that Rivers’ people were worried that the present situation in the state might degenerate into more crisis in 2027.

He warned that if deliberate steps were not taken to stop the political crisis in the state, the crisis would continue to escalate.

Mr Akpobari said, “We appeal to the conscience of everybody in the state to know that peace is desirable and that we need peace for development and for our wellbeing.’’

(NAN)