Brave Dickson
An International non-governmental organization called Search For Common Ground with headquarters in the USA has in a Community Security Architecture Dialogue meeting with the people of Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State developed some actions plan to exterminate cultism in the area.
The dialogue meeting which took place in Okrika LGA during its technical session was able to identify some causes as well as solutions that will help eradicate cultism.
According to the participants: poor parental upbringing, unemployment, bad company and unforgiveness among others were identified as some of the causes of cultism in the area and by extension, the Niger Delta region.
At the end of the technical session, the following actions plan were raised as solutions to eradicate cultism:
1) To convey a summit on anti-cultism.
2) To carry out advocacy to the representatives of the community at various levels.
3) To develop strategic messages on billboards at strategic locations
and
4) To engage strategic leadership, institutions, chiefs, CDCs including religious bodies.
Speaking with our correspondent at the end of the dialogue meeting, the Rivers State Coordinator, Search For Common Ground, Mr Cosmos Dinee said, ‘this is one of the platforms we have at the local government level to provide opportunities for dialogue processes as a tool to prevent violent conflict.
“The Okrikans just had one of their regular meetings and they were able to identify one of the major actions that can degenerate into a violent conflict which is cultism.
In fact in all the three LGAs of Gokana, Port Harcourt City and Okrika we have worked, cultism was identified as the major driver of violence.
“This meeting was able to x-ray the implications, causes and solutions to cultism. An action plan was developed to enable people to know what steps to take in tackling cultism.
“We expect to see more coordinated process in terms of expanding the dialogue forum with relevant stakeholders. We are also expecting a more peaceful Okrika and Rivers State.”
A representative of the Pan Niger Delta Forum at the dialogue meeting and PANDEF Youth Leader for Okrika LGA, Comrade Tamunokubie Idasefiema urged government at all levels to create enabling environment that will help address the issues of cultism in Okrika ethnic nationality as well as the Niger Delta region.
Comrade Idasefiema, however, urged participants to take the knowledge acquired from the dialogue meeting to the creeks so as to promote peace in all nooks and crannies of Okrika soil, maintaining that the dialogue meeting will to a large extent enthrone lasting peace in the area.
