The governor explained during the conferment of an honorary doctorate degree in International Relations on him by the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS), Geneva, Switzerland, that his administration has rigorously pursued peace “with the weapon of development.”
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Doifie Ola, quoted the university as saying Sylva was picked for the honour because he has “demonstrated, to date, outstanding commitment to elevating educational standards of Nigerian youth of Bayelsa State by providing scholarships and grants for enrolment in study and training programmes”.
Sylva was decorated and presented with the honorary degree at an impressive ceremony in Geneva on Thursday by the Dean of UBIS Roberto Bonino, and President UBIS Board Patrick Faniel. Present at the occasion were several dignitaries and captains of industry, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland, Ambassador U. H. Orjiako; CEO of India House, Manmoh Makhni; CEO of Indigo Group, Johnnie Quaicoe; CEO Drakker Luxury Products, Urquliart Sturt; and representatives from several United Nations Organisations; MLCapital; Procter & Gamble; The Global Fund and others.
The governor explained that his acceptance of the award is accentuated by the significance of the country it is coming from, and the area of study chosen.
“Switzerland as a country has come to be known internationally as a bastion of peace. International Relations as a course of study is concerned with how to foster peace and harmony among nations. And, I happen to be a man who believes in peace, peace as a key ingredient in development,” he stated in his acceptance speech, entitled: “We Have a Common Humanity”.
With reference to the peace now prevailing in Bayelsa State, hitherto the hot-bed of youth restiveness, he said: “We waged peace with the weapon of development and opened a window of social rehabilitation that provided a framework for the Federal Government of Nigeria’s amnesty programme for the hitherto militant youths of the Niger Delta.”
“Today, the amnesty programme has moved beyond the level of just laying down arms by the ex-militants. It has progressed to a level where the ex-militants are being trained in various fields to equip them with skills to enable them earn a decent living.
“This is in recognition of the fact that to achieve peace on a sustainable basis, citizens must be provided with unimpeded access to a means of livelihood. And in these days of knowledge economy, education remains one of the avenues for arming our people with the requisite knowledge for creating and growing businesses in order to expand the vistas of opportunity to earn a living for our people.”
Explaining the why his administration has concentrated much efforts on education, Sylva pointed out : “ We realised that our tragedy today is the general inability to develop ourselves enough to conquer our environment , discover and utilise the enormous treasures Mother Nature has concealed there for our sustenance. We realised that we must learn and teach ourselves that the basest of all things is to be without education and invariably be at the mercy of those that have it.”
He continued that in the pursuit of peace, “we have also embarked on an extensive scholarship system aimed at funding the education and training of those who would otherwise have remained in darkness outside of the civilizing light that literacy and education alone can give as a result of lack of funds.
“This set of people would ordinarily constitute a threat to peace if their energies are not properly channeled and harnessed.”
On global harmony, the governor noted that “No matter the part of the world we come from, we share a common humanity. We share a common aspiration to further our happiness and try to avoid suffering. We share the same essential human needs and concerns. We share a common desire for freedom, right and ability to fulfill our destinies.”
Sylva expressed delight that the award, coming from an institution reputed for academic excellence right in the heart of a country regarded as the global headquarters of peace, has provided another platform for him to propagate peace through education.
DOIFIE OLA
Chief Press secretary to the Governor
25/09/2011
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