Date: 2019-04-10

Government Area Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti and Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem yesterday attributed the country's growing violence to injustice, inequality and poverty.

They spoke in Ilorin, the state capital, at the 2nd distinguished personality lecture organised by the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, UNILORIN. The lecture was entitled: "International trends in peace action and peace research: South-North."

Oba Adeoti said: "Disorderliness, rancour and acrimony are borne out of disparity between the rich and the poor in Nigeria. The Boko Haram insurgency might not be unconnected with differences in living. While some are living in affluence most people are living in abject poverty.

"For us in Nigeria, it is high time we addressed how to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. Nigeria was colonised by the British, but we practice American system of government. I can say that Nigeria muddle both the presidential and parliamentary systems of government.

"It is, therefore, behooves this centre to look into our local problems and solve them locally so that peace can be sustained and maintained in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general.

"Peace can be maintained by addressing the Nigeria's political system.  We are talking of peace, but over 91 political parties were registered in the last elections. We shall continually look forward to how the academia and this centre can restore peace to Nigeria. Without peace nothing can be accomplished. Without peace, there will be no development. Even living together will be very difficult without peace."

Prof. Abdulkareem, who was represented at the event by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Prof. Fatai Sule, said the root of the pervasive conflicts in Africa can only be uprooted, if culture of African values that are built on justice, fairness and equity are imbibed.

Abdulkareem called on Africans to retrace their steps and adopt African traditional values to eliminate structural tensions that would give birth to indigenous framework for building peace in Africa.

The VC hailed the centre for coming up with laudable peace building programmes that are capable of restoring peace and order.

The director of the centre, Prof Noah Yusuf, said the event was in two folds, personality lecture and public book presentation.