Search Begins Community Remobilisation In Bayelsa
Deputy Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation, Zissimos Vergos, has called for an end to the cycle of violence and criminality in the Niger Delta caused by years of marginalisation and distrust.
He made the call yesterday at the national launch of a peace promotion project, tagged ‘A Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ in Abuja.
Vergos said: “We all know we cannot address the structural problems of the Niger Delta region directly, but what we can do is highlight the paradigm shift and the theory of change that can convince a lot of people.
“Out of our interest in seeing Nigeria achieve its status as the giant of Africa, what we can do as a partner is bring resources to the table so that Nigerian partners can work around their challenges. This is very important to highlight.
“Through this process, we are learning because we definitely don’t come around historical problems pretending that we fully understand the solution. What we know and bring from our societies is that inclusive societies do better.”
Vergos said the community-centred approach to stemming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta is outstanding. He commended the four leading development organisations working together to propose an alternative narrative to the violence prevailing in the region.
Country Director, Search for Common Ground (Search), Fatima Abubakar, said her organisation and its partners had successfully launched the project in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta states, where the respective state governments demonstrated their commitment to promoting inclusive community security approaches and addressing the root causes of violence and criminality in the region.
She said: “This moment marks a noteworthy milestone in our collaborative endeavours to promote inclusive community security approaches and address the root causes of violence and criminality in the Niger Delta.
“Before delving into the details of our transformative project, it is essential to reflect on Search’s steadfast commitment to peace building in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large. We are abreast with the local context of the region, its history, challenges and the conflict dynamics that have shaped the current political, economic and social landscape of the region. Consequently, Search designs its projects to collaborate with local and international partners, to spearhead impactful initiatives aimed at mitigating violence and building resilience in communities across the Niger Delta.
“It is worthy of note that prior to this national launch, Search and the Consortium partners including Democracy Network (SDN), Academic Associate Peace Works (AAPW) and Partnership Initiative for the Niger Delta (PIND), with funding support from the European Union, has successfully launched the project in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States, where the respective state governments demonstrated their commitment to promoting inclusive community security approaches and addressing the root causes of violence and criminality in the region.”
Also speaking, Minister of Niger Delta, Abubakar Momoh, who was represented by his Special Assistant, James Khanoba, said the Federal Government hopes that the project would yield the desired impact.
“We hope that the ‘Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta’ project serves as a compass guiding government towards a more holistic understanding of the problems in the region and the potential pathways to sustainable solutions,” he said.
In his remarks, Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflicts Resolution, Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, said: “Investment of the EU on the Search for Common Ground and its partners is not a waste and I can assure that together we are going to make a world of difference. I am happy that this event is taking place at the Institute for Peace and Conflicts Resolution, which is the apex think tank as well as the intervention agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the area of conflict prevention, management and resolution.”
Meanwhile, as part of activities to actualise its project of enhancing community peace architecture in the Niger Delta region, Search has kicked off its remobilisation exercise in the communities.
The group said the exercise is aimed at strengthening peace across 66 communities in the region.
Speaking at the palace of His Royal Majesty, Bubaraye Dakolo, the King of Ekpetiama Kingdom, where the group went to unveil their plans for the community, the Head of Programme implementation in the region, Yacinthe Agbadjagan, said: “As part of the project’s implementation strategy the consortium is undertaking the remobilisation activity to reinforce the overreaching goal of fostering inclusive community security approaches in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States.
“The remobilisation exercise seeks to catalyse dialogue and collaboration between community level actors and security agencies, fostering trust, sharing knowledge and enhancing responsiveness to community needs.
“The exercise will feature dynamic discussions, dialogue sessions and action planning among community stakeholders. It is also aimed at ensuring enduring sustainability, effectiveness and peace building efforts beyond the project’s lifespan.”
Responding, King Dakolo assured the group of his support, stating that his doors are always open for discussion.
He said: “My doors are wide open for you. I’m here to render any kind of support that will see to the actualisation of the project.
“I assure you of my support and the support of the kingdom now and always.”
