By: Amos Odeh, Yenagoa.
Rotary International brought a clear call for peace to Yenagoa at the weekend with a public Peace Walk and the unveiling of two landmark billboards to mark the 2025 International Peace Day.
The event, organised by the Rotary Action Group for Peace in Bayelsa in collaboration with Rotary and Rotaract Clubs across the state, drew Rotarians, community leaders, students, and residents. The participating groups included the Rotary Action Group for Peace, Rotary Club of Yenagoa, Rotary Club of Oxbow Lake, Rotary Club of Yenagoa City Center, Rotary Club of Yenagoa Sunshine, Rotary Club of Yenagoa Towers, Rotary Club of Yenagoa Creek Haven, Rotaractors and the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture.
The walk began at Etegwe Roundabout and ended at the Rotary Roundabout in Opolo, where participants revealed two striking billboards: one displaying the Rotary Four-Way Test and the other bearing a bold Message of Peace.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Chibueze Anthony Olikagu, District Governor-Elect of Rotary International District 9141, stressed that peace is the foundation for all progress.
“The importance of peace cannot be overstated. Without peace, there can be no development,” Dr Olikagu said.
“These billboards are more than structures. They are symbols of hope and reminders of the ethical foundation upon which harmonious communities are built,” he said.
Mabel Ebisindou Oki, State Coordinator of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, said the walk and the installations were designed to inspire unity and strengthen social cohesion.
“By coming together, we demonstrated a shared commitment to building a more peaceful world,” she said.
Other Rotary leaders present, including Suleiman Sheriff Hussain, Oweibi Godspower Tare, Premobowei Oti, Dr. Hilda Afakwu-Adimoha, Rotarian Ibirimo Obiene, Rotarian Professor Onyaye Kunle-olowu, Past Assistant Governor Levi Uche Onyekaonwu, Peremoboere Ruth Geku, among others emphasised that these principles are not exclusive to Rotarians.
“They are universal values that can guide civic life, encourage ethical conduct, and inspire peace, in a society often challenged by harmful actions and divisive rhetoric, these billboards serve as daily prompts for citizens to think before they act. We hope young people in particular will embrace these values rather than be drawn to destructive vices, ” they said.
Former President of the Rotary Club of Oxbow Lake, Dr Fortune Alfred, welcomed the initiative in a public statement, expressing confidence that the prominent display of the Four-Way Test and the Peace Message would help foster integrity and mutual respect in the state capital.
He said he and other Rotary leaders would work to extend similar peace-building projects to other parts of Bayelsa.
“The installation at Opolo is only the beginning,” Dr Alfred said. “We will continue to share these guiding principles across the state so that together we can build a society rooted in truth, fairness, goodwill, and peace.”
With this initiative, Bayelsa Rotarians have renewed Rotary’s long-standing mission to serve humanity and act as a catalyst for peace and ethical progress.
