Peace Institute, UNHCR sign MoU

The Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), says it is ready to partner with other organisations that would make its work of enhancing peace easier in Nigeria.

Prof. Oshita Oshita, Director General of the institute, stated this at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the agency and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), in Abuja on Thursday.

The Director General expressed concern over breach of peace in North East and Niger Delta and urged Nigerians to help restore peace to the areas.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the memorandum was signed to, among other things; promote peace among communities.

Oshita said the significance of the MoU was to improve the condition of Nigerian people in conflict areas, particularly in the North East.

Oshita said this was because peace was crucial to, and the essence of human existence.

``If you lose wealth, you lose nothing, if you lose health, you lose something, but if you lose peace, you lose everything.

``And if you lose everything you are reverting to the state of nature where nothing is definite thus everybody is at risk and become very vulnerable.’’

He said the institute was excited by the partnership with UNHCR adding that it would be sustained to ensure total peace in the north east and in Nigeria as a whole.

Ms Angele Dikongue-Atangana, the UNHCR Representative in Nigeria, said peace was the cornerstone of everything in the world.

She said UNHCR’s activity as a humanitarian organisation “is anchored around peace which made it imperative for the two organisations to partner to promote lasting peace in Nigeria.”

Dikongue-Atangana said that the partnership with the institute was part of UNHCR’s preventive mandate.

She said the mandate seeks to take care of the consequences of the breach to peace by pre-empting and taking measures to forestall the breaches.

This, she said, was the very essence of the MoU because it was about building and revamping cohesion among different communities in Nigeria, be it the displaced people or even the refugees.

Dikongue-Atangana said the partnership was imperative and workable in three main areas.

The areas are the legal policy framework, capacity building and prevention of breaches to peace.

``When you look at Nigeria today, whether in the North especially in the North East with the insurgency, whether in the middle Belt with clashes between farmers and herdsmen; or even the Niger Delta and the issue of oil pipeline, you will really see situations for breaches to peace.

``So, the MoU is about promoting unity amongst communities, teaching communities how they can live in peace with one another, trashing away potentials for clashes, for tension, for war, and for fighting.

``We are preaching peace because peace is the most important value that mankind ought to treasure at all times but unfortunately, it’s is constantly being breached.”