Our Activities have Benefited Over 10 Million Niger Deltans: Search for Common Ground

 

Search for Common Ground a non governmental organization that has been operating in the Niger Delta Region in the  last twenty four months, has revealed that it's activities have benefited over Ten Million persons in the region.

Speaking at the weekend in Asaba  Delta State during the validation of a s social  media listening research, Sunny Dada,  the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator,  Search for Common Ground,  said that the art and culture aspect of the project alone attracted  over 2.7 million persons  while the group's special cohesion activity reached up to 2.7million persons.

He disclosed that the capacity building aspect of the project  reached  over 835 persons adding that doing plus and minus, the activity may have reached over ten million persons.

On the  social media listening project, Dada maintained that about  two hundred and forty eight million, seven thousand people which represents 11.2% ethnic base were captured adding that  it was also  reduced to about forty six million four thousand  representing 2.1% of the population.

He  therefore called on relevant stakeholders to join hands in making sure that all that Search  for Common Ground has done in  the region is sustained adding that the social media  listening recommendations should be turned into policies to guide the region.

"Over  Ten million persons have been reached through this programme directly and indirectly. Through our art and cultural activities alone, we reached 2.7million people  across the 66 communities. That is 70 person per community officially because in many communities, we had almost 200 persons attending that activity because it was an open event. 

"Officially 70 persons multipled by 66 communities, you have nothing less than 2.7 million persons. Then we had a special cohesion activity  which also brought together  community members.  That one also reached about  2.7  persons, then the capacity building training that reached about  835 persons. So if you do your plus and minus, you will discover that even that 10 million persons were exceeded.

" In every family, you have nothing less than three persons so if you reach one person in a family, you have reached the entire family. The message will be heard in the families. If you we empower one person through our livelihood initiative, there is a tendency that five  to ten persons will benefit from that livelihood empowerment.

"If you build a Casava Processing Machine in a particular community, the money  from that plant will contribute to the local economy of that community. So, even that ten million is a conservative number because  in terms of people that we have directly reached, they are over 5 million then when you multiply  it, you could get like fifteen to twenty million persons. 

"The project has actually reached so many persons. Like I said, it could be a scratch on the surface because you can't use eighteen or twenty four months to solve a problem that has lasted for seventy years but we have to start  from somewhere and this scratch is already yielding massive success stories from the beneficiaries and that is why we are motivated."

Elaborating more on  the  reason for the social media listening project, he said that the stabilization of the Niger Delta cannot be achieved alone by one organization. "It needs concerted efforts by all relevant stakeholders and organizations, government and individuals entities.

 "These are key Stakeholders that we expect to drive the process, some are journalists and regulatory agencies in the oil sector, in the drug related sector,  security agencies and others. So our hope is that from here, we are going to see actions in terms of policy response and capacity building within the individual organizations in terms of advocacy, governance and law reform,  policy and so many other things.

"We are happy with the commitment we have received from the stakeholders that attended this meeting and we are hoping that as they walk out of this room today, we are going to see a reflection of the action plan in their own programming.

Stating that Finance has always been the challenges hampering development  in the region, he however said that  we shouldn't look at the financial aspect maintaining "if we continue to look at money and the region is plunged into another round of violence, won't there be money to sort the region out?

 "So the issue of finance shouldn't come in at all and that is why we are calling on all relevant agencies government, donor agencies and  everybody to come in quickly, put in the relevant funding  and ensure that  reports like this are promoted. It should not just end as report. They should be transformed into policies."

Also speaking at the stakeholders meeting, Preye Inebaraton,  Secretary State Peace Architecture, Bayelsa State,  who represented Bayelsa participants, added that as agents of change , individuals can decide to change their concept  adding that "the whole essence is to see how we can minimize crimes and violence in the Niger  Delta.

He added that  "if we are  not peaceful, we can't preach Peace to the next person. For us in Bayelsa, we have decided to institutionalize  the peace building process by driving  the Bayelsa State Peace Commission.

 

"We can build Peace at a greater level.  We can do Peace building at a commumitu level with institutions and laws.  Criminals can be flushed out this region only when we collectively stand for Peace.

"In Bayelsa, we have decided to own a peace building process driven by individuals. We have gotten over twenty billion dollars in the Niger Delta in the past twenty years and there is nothing to show for it. The logic behind that is clear, while we are thinking that our enemies are those sitting in Abuja even though they are contributing to our challenges,  we also are contributing to the underdevelopment of this region." 

Ann Godwin from Rivers State who spoke onbehalf of Rivers State  participants and  a member of the common ground journalist forum, said that  for Nigeria Delta to achieve development, it must leverage on Technology.

She added that members of the commun ground journalist forum have also used the platform to canvass for Peace in the region.

"We don't  only go out to preach unity in our contents but we  practice it. We also bring in solution journalism in our reportage. I can say that the journey so far has been impressive and educative. So, we are quite happy and we are happy for Search taking such a bold step. We will continue to contribute our quota as long as  Search remains here."

Silas Julius, the Vice Chairman of Delta  State Peace architecture, in his remarks maintained that  Search's story has been a successful one.  

 He added that  through  the trainings he got from  Search for Common Ground, he gets information of whatever happens in Delta State  concerning Security.

" In Delta State,  it has been a success story and Search has been a major unifier. They have been able to unify the Niger Delta." He said.

Folashade  Seye-Ojo, Mass Media and Information Management Officer, Search for Common Ground, Bayelsa State  welcomed  all that made it to the stakeholders meeting  adding that their inputs will be highly appreciated.

Some of the recommendations made at the end of the social media listening project are to prioritize awareness campaigns that amplify female voices given the low female participation in online conversation.

Strengthen rehabilitation and psychological support for youths at risk of substance abuse and cult- related violence among other recommendations.

Search for Common Ground and  its partners with support from the European Union, have been operating in sixty six communities of Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States focusing on a community centered approach to transforming criminality in the Niger Delta.