Lets all work assiduously for the peace of Nigeria, says Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.The governor,  speaking  at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration in Osogbo, the state capital described peace as the foundation for economic and political development, stressing that no development could take place in a crisis situation.

 Aregbesola, bemoaning war and its consequences, urged Nigerians to shun activities that could lead to war in the country.

 “Through carelessness, thoughtlessness, selfishness, wickedness and hate mongering, the country may unwittingly be pushing itself towards another war.

 “War is a very bad business. It is costly, deadly and ruinous, even for a supposedly winner. It is worse for the loser. Indeed, all are losers in a war. The resources, human and material, used to prosecute wars could have been used for the development of the people. The lesson of history is that nations and people emerged from wars weakened, devastated, poor and vulnerable.

 “The worst part is that though a nation’ s decision to go to war or not may be easy before the outbreak of hostilities, it is more difficult and sometimes impossible to decide to stop a war; thus we have prolonged and sometimes an indeterminate war. This is the hard part.

 “We see the devastations of war in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon (and closer home) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. While some like Liberia and Sierra Leone are fortunate to put the war behind them, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq have found it difficult to stop their own wars.

 “Lebanon lost its Paradise and Pearl of the Middle East status to the United Arab Emirates. The mutual antagonism and distrust that the Nigerian Civil War bred are still with us.” he added.

 The Governor further urged Nigerians, especially the youths, to break away from the culture of dependence on the free money from crude oil, urging them to apply their education to solving problems facing humanity.

 He affirmed that this would be the way to make sustainable wealth because oil would soon lose its importance.