Peace Building: Group Inaugurates Committee In Bayelsa

 

In order to push further for a sustainable Peace in the Niger Delta Region, a group known as Partnership  Initiatives in the Niger Delta has Inaugurates a Peace Building Committee to continue pushing for  permanent Peace in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Recall that PIND with  sponsorship from the European Union and in partnership with  Search for Common Ground  and Stakeholders Democracy Network  have been pushing for peace in the region through the quest for  reduction of crimes and criminalities in the Niger Delta Region.

Inaugurating  the committee on Tuesday  in Yenagoa, the team lead of PIND at the event, Faith Etukudo charged the committee members to go as far as questioning some policies at the national level that have not trickled down to the local governments.

 Maintaining that the committee is a twenty five man committee that will last for four months, he also charged them to identify the relevant stakeholders involved in Drug abuse and other social vices and make sure that they are prosecuted.

Faith said: We expect that  the committee questions why those  policies and  laws issued at the national level  have not  trickled down to the communities. They should  identify those issues that require policies. They should go beyond four months and make sure that they achieve results.

"We are charging the committee to go further and influence activities like drug abuse. They should identify the Stakeholders and map out what went wrong and why the  culprits are  not being prosecuted by law enforcement agencies."

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Debewari Tarila who is also the Secretary of Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, maintained that the sensitization should be done more at the communities stating that the committee with the  available resources will move to the communities to sensitize the people of the dangers of crimes.

He called on relevant stakeholders to join hands in stamping out crimes in the state  especially Drug Abuse calling on Parents to take the issue of sensization seriously.

He said:" Collectively if we put our resources together, impact will be made. It may not be a complete one but I think there will be an impact that we will say yes, this committee has aides to reduce insecurity in Yenagoa Local Government Area.

"To prevail on insecurity, we are facing, financial  resources are needed because all machineries must be put at work. Sensitization has been going on but we need to do more because we cannot say that the people are over informed. 

" Sensitization has to be a continuous  one  but in doing that, reusources  are needed and  one of the major causes of insecurity is the issues of drug  that is the propelling force instigating crisis.

"We need to re- orientate people in our communities  because social vices seem to be encouraged so community based leaders have to do more. Most of the campaigns should get to the communities. If these awareness starts from the families, parents are speaking to their children, community leaders are also speaking, we will achieve results.

"Some parents deliberately encourage their children to go into crimes like Yahoo. They buy phones for them to go and make money, so they should condemn this act. If the condemnation is strong in all platforms, people will have a rethink.

 "It is a process though because it has eaten deep into the system, we need to have a deliberate approach to this. With all these in partnership with government and other bodies, we will achieve results."

Secretary of the Committee, Nesini Kikike, in his response stated that the campaign should be taken to the rural communities  maintaining that 

"those involved in  these criminal activities are not here, so we need to go home to meet these set of people.

   He said that the committee can embark on advocacy campaign to various communities if they can be  sponsored  adding that  the  communities are so many.

Seiyefa Otuogha women leader Nedugo Ogbia Community  in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state, in her reaction said that  she has been preaching the gospel that parents should not give up on their children no matter what.

"Parents must not give  up their  children, follow them up  until  they  know that they  have done the needful in the life of  their children because if anything happens and the child dies, they  have lost so parents shouldn't give up." She said.