By John Odhe, YENAGOA
Former first lady of Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, has backed the proposed establishment of the Bayelsa State Community Peace Commission, describing institutionalised peacebuilding as critical to sustaining peace and development across the state.
Jonathan made the call during a Symposium organised by the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture (SPA) as part of activities marking the 2026, World Peace Day at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.
The former first lady urged youths to avoid being used by desperate politicians to cause violence during the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
She also warned politicians and political parties to play by the rules at the ongoing campaigns as well as during and after the polls.
The event, with the theme “Invest in Peace: Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”, with the sub-theme “Peace in Bayelsa Before, During and After the 2027 Polls,” brought together government officials, traditional leaders, security and para-security agencies, civil society organisations, youth groups, the Rotary family and other stakeholders.
Speaking, the Secretary of the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture (SPA), Dr Inebaraton Preye, said the celebration was not merely a commemoration of World Peace Day but a call for Bayelsa to deepen its investment in peace as a foundation for development.
In their desperate speeches, the executive chairman of SPA, Mr. Alfred Watson Belemote represented by Pastor Apere Nyanami- and the chairman of the central planning committee, Bishop Dotimi Egbegi reaffirmed the commitment of the SPA to strengthening community-based peacebuilding across the state.
They described peace as an essential foundation for development, stressing that communities could not attract sustainable investment or achieve meaningful development in an atmosphere of insecurity and unresolved conflicts.
They added that the peace architecture had demonstrated that community-based dialogue, early intervention and mediation could prevent conflicts from escalating into violence.
They stressed that the next phase would be the institutionalisation of peacebuilding, explaining that the proposed Bayelsa State Community Peace Commission would provide a sustainable structure for community peace, conflict prevention, mediation and early warning.
A major highlight of the programme was the formal unveiling and public presentation of a nugget, “A Piece of Peace,” authored by Dr Inebaraton Preye.
He described the nugget as the latest collection of books to serve as intellectual contribution to the state’s peacebuilding journey.
According to the reviewer, Prof Ebikisei Stanley Udisi, A Professor and Senior Lecturer at the Niger Delta University, the book documented practical lessons, traditional wisdom, proverbs and peacebuilding experiences intended to encourage citizens to make peace a daily responsibility.
The keynote speaker and former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Mr. Tonye Emmanuel Isenah, charged governor Douye Diri to support a successor who would preserve and build upon the peace and development gains recorded in Bayelsa.
Isenah stressed the importance of continuity in governance and urged political leadership to ensure that peace remains central to the state’s future.
Chairman of the occasion and Special Adviser to the governor of Bayelsa State on Political Matters, Chief Collins Cocordia, said peacebuilding remained a collective effort requiring the participation of government and the governed.
He called on Bayelsans to embrace dialogue and peaceful coexistence, particularly as the state approaches the 2027 electoral period.
Earlier, participants embarked on a peace road walk from the Ekeki Motor Park to Peace Park, Yenagoa, as part of activities marking the celebration.
The walk provided an opportunity for stakeholders and residents to publicly demonstrate their commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence.
The event also featured a panel discussion involving representatives of the military, police, NDLEA, community and youth organisations with discussions focusing on justice, security, drug abuse, youth engagement, conflict prevention and peace before, during and after the 2027 elections.
The celebration climaxed with the cutting of the Bayelsa Peace Cake, symbolising unity and the collective commitment of participants to a peaceful Bayelsa.
The organisers reiterated that sustainable development in Bayelsa required sustained investment in peace and urged individuals and institutions to make peace a responsibility.
