Use music for peace building, crime prevention – Cleric

As the world observed World Music Day on June 21, Rev. Blessed Amalambu, General Overseer of Christ Generation Ministry Incorporated in Umuahia, Abia State, called for the deliberate deployment of music by governments worldwide. He proposed music as a complementary instrument for peacebuilding, moral reorientation, and crime prevention.

Amalambu acknowledged that music cannot substitute for security agencies but emphasized its profound capacity to transform minds, deter criminal activities, and foster national unity. He stated that while security measures restrain actions, music touches hearts, inspires hope, reshapes attitudes, encourages forgiveness, and redirects individuals away from violence.

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Security restrains the hand, but music touches the heart, songs inspire hope, reshape attitudes, encourage forgiveness, strengthen communal harmony and redirect people away from violence.

The cleric described music as a universal language that transcends ethnic, religious, and cultural divides, promoting understanding and peaceful coexistence. He commended Nigerian musicians like the late Sunny Okosun, Fela Kuti, and Bongos Ikwue for using their art to advocate for accountability, social consciousness, and national discourse. Amalambu urged contemporary musicians to create songs that inspire integrity, hard work, hope, justice, and peace, rather than glorifying violence and moral decadence.

He appealed for collaboration among governments, security agencies, musicians, media organizations, and cultural institutions. This partnership, he suggested, would leverage music in sustained public enlightenment campaigns against insecurity, kidnapping, cultism, drug abuse, and violent extremism. Amalambu maintained that lasting peace requires a combination of effective law enforcement, justice, quality education, economic opportunities, sound moral values, and the influential role of music in shaping hearts and rebuilding communities.

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The persistent non-implementation of the N1tn Manufacturing Stabilisation Fund, despite its prominent inclusion in the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan since 2024, remains an issue of promise not kept for the manufacturing sector. For two years, we have awaited this fund to ameliorate the credit crunch in the sector and to cushion the impact of the twin shocks of currency devaluation and astronomical energy costs. There appears to be no visible effort at delivering on that score.