The United Nations Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC) has conferred the prestigious award of Mayor of Peace on My-ACE China, popularly known as Mayor of Housing, for his contributions to the entrenchment of peace and security and provision of affordable housing.

The award, which now makes the Mayor of Housing a UN recognized peace ambassador, was conferred on him on Saturday, September 23, 2023 at the Banquet Hall, Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos State.

The award of Mayor of Peace by the United Nations POLAC Foundation is in consonance with the UN General Assembly Declaration for Peace and Non-Violence which celebrated 2023 International Day of Peace with the theme, ‘Actions for Peace: ‘Our Ambition for the @Global Goals’.

Registrar/Director of Programmes, UN-POLAC, Pat Agu said that UN-POLAC, an international autonomous institution and peace advocacy organization that came into existence following a UN General Assembly resolution declaring 2001-2010 as a Decade of Peace and Non-Violence, viewed the Mayor of Housing’s efforts as promoting peace, security and affordable housing in Nigeria.

“POLAC has noted with huge admiration the activities of the Mayor of Housing (Mr My-ACE China) in the housing sector which have created an environment of peace. His activities have promoted affordable housing, encouraged job and wealth creation and led to measurable poverty reduction.”

She said the group is recognised by the UN and that their mandate is to enhance the effectiveness of the United Nations Medium-Term Development Goals (UN MDGs) now Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and UNESCO Culture of Peace Project, particularly, the maintenance of peace and security and restoration of human dignity.

As a peace advocacy organization, Agu said, the group assists in peace-building initiatives, and peace mediation amongst communities.

“We also collaborate with state and federal government in peace-building network, and we address the underlying causes of violence, conflict, and crisis.”

“We participate in educational development, and promote human right and justice. Generally, our objectives are enshrined in the MDG’s. We partner with the UNESCO, UNDP, and other agencies of the UN.”

She said the organization is 12 years in action and it has about 5,000 members across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, although some are active while some are dormant, announcing that the award, which is considered an appointment is a call to service.

“We are volunteers and are expected to serve. Peace is a one man’s vision but everybody’s mission. As advocates of peace, we are ambassadors and we encourage positive living. We are role models in community service and peace-making initiatives.”

Speaking after receiving the award, the new Mayor of Peace said he has always acted as the Mayor of Housing and that he would keep acting so, stressing that host communities of places where he built estates can bear witness to his activities.

“I always sought for peace, and even won the Niger Delta Peace Award in 2022. I have been standing for peace.”

“I have stood for peace anywhere I work. I support the youth in Alesa Community in Eleme Local Government Area where we have a project. I am the first developer in their community to enact a peace keeping security corps for the project site. We thus promote peace around the project site.”

He said those who buy houses in estates actually care more about security and peace of the environment than beauty of houses.

“This accolade by the UN group will expand the scope of my actions to a more global level as the UN begins to see what I do, I hope it will inspire others at other locations apart from what I do as an individual in my location at any point in time.”

On his message to the Niger Delta people, he urged the state governments to pursue productivity because “I have never seen anyone pursing productivity that stirs trouble where he works. Everybody wants to earn daily bread”.

“To promote peace, promote productivity. The youths form the highest population segment of Nigeria. If they are productive, they will pay less attention to trouble. Let the Government promote job creation to reduce conflict.”

“Even with things as small as entertainment, you reduce conflict because as the youths prepare to showcase an event or a contest, they pay less attention to conflict and trouble. If there is no profit, there will be conflict because a hungry man is an angry man. Whatever will make more profit to people would be good.”

The new Mayor of Peace once again commended the Rivers State Government on its social housing programmes and youth development policies.

“The Rivers State Government has come out with programmes that would ensure that most of youths are gainfully engaged. So, the organized private sector (OPS) should get down to more work to get more youths engaged.”

“Peace leads to more business, more business leads to more profits, and more profit leads to more peace. On the other hand, less peace leads to less profit and less profit leads to more anger and more anger leads to more conflict and more conflict leads to more anger and more anger leads to more conflict. It’s a vicious circle.”

The new Mayor of Peace who has made waves in Port Harcourt by huge investments in the housing sector as well as in the entertainment industry said it was the best way to reduce insecurity and promote peace.

The Mayor of Housing averred that Nigerian youths desire to channel their energy to profitable income earning ventures, thus “government should focus on projects that absorb more youths, thereby making them happy. Earners are happy people”.

Many years ago, he noted, governments use to organize festivals and contests that kept the youths busy and happy. He said sports and entertainment were highly revered.

“We urge governments in Nigeria to reward what they want the youths to do more. Reward academic feats. Even if the governments do not employ the winners, celebrate them.”

He went ahead while talking to journalists upon return to the Garden City: “Have you ever heard that the best political science student or strategist in a university has been engaged as campaign leader for any political party? We appeal to the governments and the leaders to stop rewarding agberoism and thuggery because it makes excellent students angry.”

He urged governments to reward youths with excellence, ideas, entrepreneurial prowess, etc. “Even a single recognition or merely putting people on the platform to be recognized is good. Make the youths feel part of the country.

For now, there is a chasm between the youths and the leaders. Government should engage the youths more so they feel appreciated. The amount of productivity the youth can generate might shock you and it might just be the answer to the ailing economy.”

He said the award is a challenge to him, reasoning that decent living environment is what promotes peace, adding that estates eschew chaos and promote decency and less conflict by residents.

The highly travelled housing investor said Dubai is a model for peace because they focus on peace instead of conflict. “We have to inspire others for peace through peaceful areas of residence. So, to me, the award is a challenge to do more and to be more intentional about peace in designing our estates.”