By Patrick Obia
Stakeholders have identified functional institutions as a panacea in peacebuilding and co-existence in the Niger Delta region of the country.
This was a hallmark of a multi-stakeholders Niger Delta Regional Peacebuilding Strategy Implementation town hall meeting held in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on Friday, May 19th, 2023.
The stakeholders comprising the traditional and religious leaders, security personnel, the government, civil society organizations, the media, and among others, noted that security is an expensive thing and violence doesn’t last where there are no sponsors.
The increase in armed robbery, kidnapping, communal tensions, pipeline vandalism, oil theft, cultism and among others across the Niger Delta region has made it volatile and unattractive for investors despite the huge potentials that abound.
Though traditional leaders were fingered to be some of the engineers of conflicts especially communal crises due to personal gain. However, the stakeholders said there should be a carrot-and-stick approach to every violence.
Earlier, the State Coordinator, Ministry Niger Delta Affairs, Arc. David Otom said the destruction of National assets such as pipeline vandalism and oil theft has resulted in the country’s dwindling oil production, has exposed the nation to economic uncertainties, as well as become difficult to meet up with its OPEC quota, and controls fast-rising inflation.
He said there is a need for effective collaboration by all and sundry for a peaceful Niger Delta region.
Also, in his opening remarks, Peacebuilding Manager for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) Foundation, Dr. David Udofia, said the Peacebuilding program aims to achieve the greater goal of lasting peace in the Niger Delta through sustainable peace partnerships, encouraging collaboration and synergy amongst stakeholders, and strengthening indigenous structures for peace while creating and building interfaces with larger state-level peace efforts.
Security And Peacebuilding Is Everyone’s Business
Shortly after the workshop, Dr. David while granting an audience to journalists, re-echoed that security and peacebuilding are everybody’s business, hence, all hands must be on deck to achieve a peaceful Niger Delta.
He said though, conflict can not be eradicated but can be managed as well as being proactive to avert it.
“We are looking at the implementation starting immediately; apart from letting the participants know the objectives of this event, I mean working together to develop the original Peacebuilding Strategy in the Niger Delta, we also try to let the people know that security is everyone’s business and peacebuilding as well, we try to let them know what peace and conflict are. Some of the knowledge expressed by the participants shows they have learned a lot and they are going to start the implementation within their home.
“What we have tried to do in the course of this meeting is that we were able to let people have the basics of preventing conflict from escalating, not preventing it from occurring because conflict/violence is an integral part of human existence; it’s evitable.”
In a vote of thanks, Coordinator for Peace Point Development Foundation Mr. Umo Isua-Ikoh thanked participants for availing themselves even as they go back to their bases and continue to preach the message of peace.
High points of the workshop were interactive sessions, questions and answers sessions, practical group work sessions, and group photographs among others.
See pictures:
Leave feedback about this