A former Director, Counter Terrorism Investigation Unit of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr Anthony Nwafor, has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to work for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.

Nwafor made the call on Thursday in Enugu during a peace summit convened as part of activities marking the 2021 World Peace Day.

The former director said that it was the responsibility of CSOs to ensure that democratic principles were nurtured and protected.

He noted that this would lead to growth and development in the country.

He said that the CSOs needed to guard against the promotion of ethnic interests and biases in the course of discharging their duties.

Nwafor advised the CSOs to device a proactive and result- oriented means of engaging the government on sensitive issues instead of taking such advocacies to the media.

Also, the Team Lead, Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL), Dr. Ifeoma Chukwumah, said that CSOs needed to bear national identities instead of being clothed in ethnic garbs.

Chukwurah, who was represented by a lecturer at Coal City University, Enugu, said that the role of CSOs in nation building and unity in a multi-ethnic country were critical and indispensable.

Furthermore, the Founder, Association for a Better Society, Nigeria (ASBESOC), Mr Chibuike Elias, said that Nigeria needed an independent institution to curb vices.

Elias said that such institution would be responsible for the enthronement of sanity in every arm of government and other aspects of life in the country.

Also, the National Coordinator, Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), CSP, Ebere Amarizu, said that incidence of cultism in the rural communities was on the rise.

Amaraizu, represented by CSP Kerian Igwe, said that the menace had shifted from higher institutions to primary schools, villages and even among artisans.

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He called on the CSOs to continually engage community leaders in order to address the issue.