A self-styled peace Ambassador and author of books on leadership in Nigeria, Tony Oyatedor have said that the Federal Government can end the seemingly endless Boko Haram insurgency in North East and militancy in Niger Delta areas without the use of force.

Oyatedor who is the Chief Executive Officer of Newstime, a nongovernmental organization for the promotion of peace urged the federal government to rather follow the rule of law instead of the rule of force in taming terrorism.

The peace Ambassador stated this at a press conference and seminar at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kaduna State Council.

He further explained, “The people and leadership of Nigeria, must follow the rule of law, not the rule of force. Invest in solutions not weapons, Invest in Newstime and harvest a peaceful and secure, and prosperous nation, Nigeria. You must invest to harvest. You cannot plant corn and harvest beans, you give good, you get good. When you invest in weapons, you get war and destruction, but if you invest in the Word, you get peace and security. With the Word, (through Newstime), Nigeria shall rest in peaceful security. “Weapons should not be the first choice but should be the last choice. Enough is enough, Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants must make peace with the society, not just the government or the military.

In Nigeria, a painful past troubled present and uncertain future. Leadership does a good job of punishing the people but a bad job at protecting the people. Desperate times, call for desperate prayers, fasting, and work with the Word.

“Leadership should save lives; instead, let us end the twin problems with the Word. Leadership’s commitment to peace, love, and unity save the nation from collapse and bring Nigerians back together in security. Leadership can only measure success by the lives they change for good. Leadership must establish units in Nigeria. Leadership must be wealth creators for the Nigerian people, not poverty creators”.

Oyatedor also appealed to the political leaders in the country, not to distance themselves from the people.

“Leadership must talk with the people with gracious and comforting words. With compassion, (loving-kindness and mercy). Nigeria shall yet again overflow with prosperity. Amen. The twin-problems, (Boko Haram and Militancy), shall no more make Nigeria and Nigerians be panic sicken. No more terrorism. No more militancy. With peace, comes security and prosperity, and the development of the people and infrastructure. Nigeria and the Nigerian people,

“Leadership must make peace with the twin problems, not because they want to, but because they have to. To suggest otherwise would be inaccurate.

“Terrorism is error and sins of ignorance and thoughtlessness. With the twin problems came excruciating distress and severe pain for Nigerians.

The twin problems-Boko Haram and Niger Delta Militancy will be promising to move from bitter fighting to close friendship with time leadership of Nigeria through the help of Newstime.

“The situation in Nigeria on the twin problems is a legacy of many years of problems. It is not something that happened overnight. We are not going to be able to resolve it overnight with a snap of the finger. We must riot and take sides. Our work is not to condemn, but our work is to accomplish reconciliation and peace.

“The twin problems in Nigeria is a serious problem and no one is working to fix it, they only talk about it but Newstime has the solution, and will roll up our sleeves to work and fix it for good.

“For a while now, there has been distress (trouble and anguish) in Nigeria, a nation in bewilderment and perplexity (without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn). People swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectations of the things that are coming to the nation.

“The leadership trust knows using weapons to end the crisis, magnifies rather than mitigates the problem. The crisis in Nigeria (the twin problems) is like a river of fire and Nigerians are swimming in it.

“A society and nation that cares for one another is a secure and peaceful society and nation. Nigeria needs to make peace with the twin problems in the country because the nation is nourished by food from the North and depends on oil and gas from Niger Delta.

“The unintended consequence of Boko Haram is that whichever way you slice it, farmers in the North pay more to produce less. By the favor of Almighty God (Insha Allah) we shall rebuild and restore the houses of the people of the North which has fallen and destroyed, we shall rebuild its very ruins, and will set it up again”.

He further noted, “Before the advent of Boko Haram, Northerners showed themselves and strangers in their land and houses unusual and remarkable kindness. They welcomed and received all manner of people (regardless of religion, creed, nationality, place of origin, abled and disabled, etc.) with heart hospitality.

Nigeria needs the peace of reconciliation to hold and enjoy peace with Almighty God through the Word. Leadership in Nigeria, now hear this, which do you prefer for your children? Should you go to your children with a rod, (weapons) of corrections, or with love and in a spirit of gentleness? – (twin problem).

“Leadership must teach the people the value of work. Leadership must teach the people the value of work. Leadership must lead the people for the better, not for the worse.

Instead of further rebuke, Leadership and the people of Nigeria should rather turn and graciously forgive and comfort and encourage one another to keep from being overwhelmed by excessive pain and despair.

With reliable and constant electricity (including solar and wind and trash), Nigerians will live work, and prosper in Nigeria.

“The people of Nigeria want to know what the solutions to the problems (not challenges) are, not continue to talk about the same problems, decades after decades, and call them ‘‘challenges.’’ Newstime has the solutions.

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“Talking is not leadership, doing is leadership. Leadership must implement a road map for what a peaceful, stable, secure, and prosperous Nigeria would look like. We at Newstime have the solution. Leadership must implement short-term goals to improve life for Nigerians. The country must wake up after a decades-long slumber. Oil has brought dismay (consternation) not delight to Niger Delta.

“There is an urgent need for new thinking about an old problem, the twin problems. Newstime has the solution. To us at Newstime, this is less about us and more about the future of the country.

“To cure what ails Nigeria, leadership needs to understand the people’s pain. Leadership says “an individual could make a difference,” individuals have consistently tried to make a difference in Nigeria, but without support from anyone – private, public, federal, state, or local government.

Continuous spending on weapons to crush the twin problems is either sustainable or prudent.

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“The biggest mistake is to focus heavily on the effects of the problem rather than the problem itself. Leadership must redouble its efforts to get the word out, that “Peace brings security.”

“Teamwork is the only way to succeed. The people are concerned about the leadership but more worried about the twin problems. They are not interested in finger-pointing and blame games. They want solutions that will stop the twin problems. Newstime has the solutions.

“Never has a country that should have been so rich been so poor. There is no mystery here, leadership is to blame. Due to wickedness, which is to say that Nigeria is a man-made disaster. Public money that should have been used for the public good was disappearing into private. This theft, (corruption) enriched the few but impoverished the many.

“The time of waging war is over, this is time for making peace that will bring security. Nobody is at peace until everybody is at peace. In Nigeria, self-inflicted stumbling keeps the nation away from progress”.