The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) has advocated for multilateral engagement for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta.
This was disclosed by Afeno Super Odomoro, Peacebuilding Research Coordinator (PIND) who represented PIND Executive Director, Tunji Idowu in a peace building program with the Theme: “Capacity strengthening for prevention of conflicts in Akwa Ibom State” held on Thursday August 29, in Uyo.
PIND averted that over 919,500 farmers and Small/Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have been reached with information on agricultural and business best practices; improved knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of over 457,729 farmers & SMEs that stirred improved productivity and additional income of over NGN51.4billion.
The foundation explained that more than 64,985 new jobs facilitated in agriculture, building construction, and ICT sectors in the Niger Delta; and influenced over NGN54billion additional investment by Federal and State governments, the private sector, and donor agencies in the region through the Economic Development Program.
According to the Executive Director, “PIND’s approach is driven by partnership and synergy amongst stakeholders based on inclusive principle as women and girls, youths and People with Disabilities (PWD), private, public, religious and traditional institutions are integral in all its interventions”.
He added, “Our ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Niger Delta Development (MNDD) and the development and design of the Niger Delta Regional Peacebuilding Strategy (NDRPS) is a good example. Thus, the creation of the Prevent Council is within this spectrum. The Prevent Council is a multilevel conflict management strategy (top, middle – range and grassroots leaderships) based on the principle of local ownership and inclusive participation”.
The central goal , he opined Is to promote and sustain social cohesion and peaceful coexistence in the society with no one left behind.
He explained ,” The achievement of sustainable peace must involve multilateral engagements with the traditional institutions as critical positive influencers and conflict mediators in their respective states and communities. Data shows that violent conflict in the Niger Delta is mainly driven by a variety of interrelated and often overlapping factors. Conflict issues are mostly around criminality and communal tensions over land and boundary disputes, which often lead to violence, deaths, destruction of properties, and internal displacement of residents. Violent conflict has also been identified as a major driver of poverty in the region”.
“This informed the need for this strategic engagement of top government officials, notable traditional institutions, community influencers and other stakeholders to advice and take proactive actions to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts in the region, through the Prevent Council”.
In 2022, PIND established and inaugurated PREVENT Councils in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta to experiment how local institutions and stakeholders including traditional rulers and community leaders can be leveraged for peacebuilding and conflict mitigation at the community, local and state levels in the Niger Delta.
Since the inauguration in 2022, the members have been working as positive influencers and conflict mediators within their respective states and communities, with a focus on communal land and boundary disputes, and some successes have been recorded.In view of the successes achieved and the need for sustainability, we are expanding the Prevent Councils to communities and local governments that we did not hitherto cover which are also hotspots of communal conflicts.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Emmanuel Akpanobong- Chairman prevent council Akwa Ibom said people must be educated to understand their rights and limit. “Not giving proper information creates room for conflict. Government should not fold their hands and watch people die over issues they can handle with dispatch; we must do everything to prevent conflict”.
The Akwa ibom state Commissioner of police represented by Assistant Commissioner ACP Suleh Musa described conflict as mother of all crimes stressing that heinous crimes such as Burglary, Armed robbery, rape and mindless killings often arise from conflicts.
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Dr. Kufre Essien Peace Building consultant to PIND speaking on the sub theme:: Mobilizing traditional institutions as positive influencers and conflict mediators for peace and development in the Niger Delta said PIND’s peacebuilding program is aimed at achieving the greater goal of regional and lasting peace in the Niger Delta; it achieves this through creating sustainable peace partnerships, encouraging collaboration and synergy amongst peace actors, providing support for economic development and strengthening indigenous structures for peace while also creating and building interface with larger state-level peace efforts.
He highlighted, “The institution of traditional leadership plays critical and proactive roles in promoting and sustaining social cohesion, peace and order as well as peaceful coexistence in societies. In this regard, traditional rulers play a vital role in peacebuilding at the grassroots level as part of the cultural heritage of the people. Although modern private and public entities recognize the role of traditional institutions in maintaining peace and security, the challenge has been in the process of engagement.
High point of the occasion is the inauguration of the prevent council to provide strategic advice on what action to take and with whom to engage to prevent the escalation of violence at the community, local, and state levels.
They are also to engage traditional institutions as positive influencers and conflict mediators in their respective states and communities, and respond to identified potential precursors of violence and instability in collaboration with the existing Partners for Peace Network and Prevent Committees and other stakeholders at the state, local and community levels.
