Peace Drafting Committee Set Up In Bayelsa.

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 In a bid to sustain Peace that is already being witnessed in Bayelsa State, a Nineteen Man Committee to push for the establishment of Community Peace Commission has been instituted in Bayelsa State.

The committee has the mandate to draft a bill which will be sent to the state House Assembly to see that the Peace Commission is established for a sustainable Peace in the region.

 This was the outcome of a multi stakeholder state –level dialogue held in Yenagoa on Tuesday with the theme, "Transformative and Sustainable Community Peace in Bayelsa State, organized by Search for Common Ground with support from the European Union.

 Recall that Search for Common Ground in conjunction with Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta and Stakeholders Democracy Network with support from the European Union has been in the Niger Delta for about two years now trying to build and sustain Peace in the Region.

The Drafting Committee which is being pushed by Bayelsa State Peace Architecture, will be chaired by a former Senator, Barigha Amange and co-chaired by Watson Alfred Belemote, Commissioner for Community Development who doubles as the Chairman of the State Peace Architecture (BYSPA).

 Other members of the Committee are Ayibanengiyefa Egba of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, who is to serve as Secretary while BYSPA Secretary, Inebaraton Preye is the Co-Secretary of the proposed CPC Bill Drafting Committee.

Also to be in the committee, are representatives of security agencies, non-governmental organizations and government related agencies such as Ministry of Justice, Youth and Gender based Groups, legal practitioners among others.

Speaking earlier at the event, the Keynote Speaker Professor Tonbara Kingdom, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Niger Delta University, explained that Drug abuse, Communal Crises, proliferation of small arms, chieftaincy tussle, cult activities, Community Oil Conflict, Political Violence, among others are some of the drivers of violence in the Niger Delta.

He explained that communities must be at the center of peace building adding that.

 He said: “Political violence especially during elections is also a driver of violence. We have tugs as supporters and after the election, they are unable to control them again.

“Also, most of these companies will give contract and employment to some persons and cause problem in the communities.”

 “There must peace committees involving traditional rulers, women and youths that must serve as mediator.

“If the elites did not carry along the youths and the women, these people will kick against what they are doing for the community. There should be collaboration between communities and security agencies.

“There should also be economic empowerment and livelihood for young people with special focus on Agriculture and local content participation in Oil and Gas.” He explained

Also speaking, Professor Christopher Onyema, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Federal University Otuoke, maintained that the meeting was the kind of thing that the Niger Delta needs maintaining that “there is need for the region to have community peace commission not only at the state level, but also at the community level so that they can put a handle on the gains that different bodies have made so far in an effort towards entrenching peace in the region.

He said what was happening was beautiful “because if we have bodies that will firm up the gains we have made; it will sustain peace. Because if you achieve peace and you don’t sustain it, the Peace can’t be peaceful and let us all remember that Peace doesn’t mean the absence of conflict.

 “it means that in a peaceful environment, conflict has been reduced to a minimal level that people can co-habit without any kind of stress. But we should pay more attention on our youths because I’m afraid we are losing it.

“These people are our tomorrow and we should also firm up in our political structures so that these people we groom as our children will not pitch their value system on things that are ephemeral.”

The DVC stated that: “If we are able to put in place a Peace Commission, it will be a regulatory body but government, traditional leaders, community leaders, must be involved truthfully so that all these efforts will not end at lectures am symposia.”

Speaking on behalf of Search for Common Ground, Oppwill Ayitu, Governance /Advocacy Coordinator, said that organization had been striving to build transformative and sustaibe Peace in the Niger Delta Region.

 He urged all to contribute their ideas so that more sustainable Peace can be achieved in the region.

Solomon Adejo, Sub- Component Project Manager of Search for Common Ground had reeled out some of the things the organization had done in the Niger Delta adding that Search is in Sixty-six communities in the Niger Delta.