The President, International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), Mr Per Stafsen, has expressed the readiness of the association to collaborate with the Oyo State government to achieve further sustainable development.
Stafsen said this in Ibadan at an event to commemorate the Global Week to #Act4SDGs and the eighth anniversary of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Global Week to #Act4SDGs is a global mobilisation taking place during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly in September to show world leaders that people all around the world are committed, dedicated and inspired to take action on the SDGs.
Stafsen pointed out that a partnership with the Governor Makinde-led administration would attract the attention of the international community for trade and investments in the state.
“Oyo State was chosen to host the 2023 end of the Global Week because it is a peaceful and very accommodating state with a reasonable amount of progress,” he said.
The International Director, IAWPA, Professor Chidi Ehiriodo, explained that the UN SDGs were brought together for nations to develop them in their own context and then called on the Federal Government to incorporate the goals into policy implementation for good governance.
The Oyo State director of IAWPA, Mr Muhammad-Lawal Musa Alongbija, hinted that the association had selected individuals with track records of humanitarian and peaceful initiatives as newly inducted “Eminent Peace Ambassadors” across the state.
In a paper presentation titled ‘ACTS4SDGs: Peace as a Tool for Sustainable Development’, the founder and spiritual leader of Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Professor Sabit Ariyo Olagoke, identified the collapse of agents of socialisation as the bane of peaceful coexistence and development in Nigeria.
Professor Olagoke called on governments to adopt Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as solutions to socio-economic challenges facing the country to entrench peace, development and progress.
“There is the need to end all forms of discrimination and marginalisation against women, and persons with disabilities by being compliant with promotion of inclusive society,” he said.
In a remark, the spiritual head and founder of Seed of Christ Golden Church, Prophet Solomon Oni Mustapha, popularly known as ‘Baba Sebiob’, described as “International Mayor of Peace” and global diplomat, Apostle, identified peace as sacrosanct to achieving development, saying that the newly appointed Eminent Peace Ambassadors were chosen in recognition of their of their outstanding efforts geared towards ensuring peace and development in the society.
The peace advocate awardees were Governor Seyi Makinde and his wife, Mrs Tamunominini Makinde; the Asiwaju Adinni of Oyo state, Alhaji Mutiu Oladejo and 30 other personalities.
. TheWitness
