Ojukwu made this statement at a public presentation of the book ‘After Genocide Memory and Reconciliation in Rwanda’ during a panel discussion in Abuja.

The event was organised by the California State University, Sacramento, U.S.  Chrisland University Abeokuta and the Prisoners Rehabilitation and Welfare Action (PRAWA).

Ojukwu said Nigeria could forge a path towards lasting peace, reconciliation and development.

“We are making sure that we preach peace, we are making sure that no one is oppressed and that’s what our new National Anthem stands for,”he said.

Earlier, Dr Nicole Fox, Author of the book and associate professor at the California State University, Sacramento, emphasised on the importance of recognising past atrocities, naming them and validating survivors’ experiences.

Fox, who is also a board member of the Centre for African Peace and Conflict Reconciliation (CAPCR), said: “I think the lessons for Nigeria to take away is the importance of recognising those who have survived violence and to talk about those experiences.

“This is important so that they set records straight, so the truth comes out and so that society can begin to heal because you can’t heal if you don’t acknowledge those experiences.

“In Nigeria, we are working with PRAWA to bring different programmes that we’ve been doing in California prison including prison book clubs and restorative justice,”she said.

Also, Executive Director of the Global Rights Nigeria, (GRN) Ms Abiodun Baiyewu, said concrete steps must be taken towards reconciliation, ethnic and religious tolerance in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Prof. Ernest Uwazie, Professor of Criminal Justice at the California State University, Sacramento and Director CAPCR, said that the book presentation speaks to the conflict and insecurity issues in Nigeria. (NAN)