Brave Dickson
By Brave Dickson
Search For Common Ground has held its fourth edition of peace architecture dialogue meeting at the state level in Port Harcourt where participants came together with various peacebuilding opinions that would help deepen peace in Rivers State as well as the Niger Delta Region.
The meeting which saw the likes of top security, media, traditional and religious leaders among others in attendance was used as a platform to evaluate the conflict resolution impact of SFCG in the state to better strategise ahead of next peace-building project of SFCG in the state and region.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the meeting, the State Coordinator, Search For Common Ground, Mr Cosmos Dinee said: “This is one of the regular monthly peace architecture meeting dialogue we have been having at the state level. As you are aware, we operate a multi-stakeholder platform at the local and state governments level.
“This event was the last edition in this phase of ‘Deepening Peace- Niger Delta Project.’ We have come together to review what we have done from when we started and to look at ways we can further strengthen our relationship and partnership as we move and prepare towards the next phase of the project.
“More so, this meeting has been an opportunity for every stakeholder to contribute his or her efforts that are necessary for the enhancement of sustainable peace in Rivers State and Niger Delta at large.”
Narrating how the knowledge acquired from SFCG helped to enhance career performance, the Public Relations Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Rivers State Command, Mr Emmanuel Ogbumgbada said: “I must commend SFCG for doing so well. The training it has exposed us to has equally added value to NDLEA activities here in Rivers State.
“In NDLEA, we engage in enforcement of drug law which includes; arresting, investigating and prosecuting drug offenders in court with the hope of securing conviction to keep them in correction centre (prison) where they are expected to return from and become useful to the society.
“One of the problems that are giving rise to drug abuse is the availability of drugs. Once we can remove drugs from society, it becomes unavailable for the intending users.
“Another aspect of our activities is the drug demand reduction where we do sensitisation, treatment, counselling and rehabilitation. This is essentially where the knowledge I have gathered here has been helpful significantly. Because in the course of restoration, the drug-dependent persons in NDLEA facility would undergo some stages. The stage where the individual has recovered from the drug problem and has to be reintegrated with his family, we usually discover conflicts in families. And it arises from hatred or lack of love because of the drug dependent person’s activities as other members of the family typically tend to see him as a bad person.
“Another thing that brings conflicts is joblessness, when we are doing family counselling, we now use some of the knowledge gained from this programme to breach the gap between the treated drug dependent person and his family. We usually make his family understand that it is important for the person to get involved in any paid job. By so doing, the person will be engaged and will not have time to go back to the drug. We also try to resolve the conflict that exists in the love arena by persuading members of the family to still see him as a member of the family that should be loved.”
In his own experience, the Paramount Ruler of Dee-eewa Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, His Royal Chief, Magnus Edooh said: “I am one of the knowledge beneficiaries of this peacebuilding programme of Search For Common Ground. I was able to use the conflict resolution techniques I gained here to restore peace in my community, where I serve as paramount ruler. So, kudos to Search For Common Ground.
“Again, I will like to advise that subsequent programmes that SFCG will organise should involve other stakeholders such as government agencies because what SFCG is doing in the Niger Delta region is helpful.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Deputy National Secretary of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF,) and Chairman, SFCG State Peace Architecture Dialogue, Hon. Ken Robinson commended SFCG for its giant peacebuilding strides in the region saying that: “It is exciting that Search For Common Ground is interested in peace and development of the Niger Delta.
He said: “As you all know, PANDEF’s major objective is to foster unity, peace and development in the Niger Delta Region. So as an organisation and regional body, we have been identifying with any group that is interested in fostering peace in the Niger Delta Region. We are glad and appreciate what Search For Common Ground is doing, and we are commending them. The peace architecture dialogue organised by SFCG in Rivers State that we started which PANDEF got involved in since April 2019 had been quite informative and enlightened. I must say that we are happy with what SFCG is doing.”
While representing the Rivers State Police Command, SP Henrietta Eboka who spoke on how security agencies can enhance peace and security, said: “The police are the mother of all safety. If there are security threats in any area, the police usually come up to advise the public on how to move safely. It is not easy to police society. Some times, we use to have hatred from the public. Though there are rotten eggs in the police force, we still have a lot of good ones. Since people can’t do without us, they have to be our friend.
“Interestingly, Governor Nyesom Wike recently inaugurated a task force to aid and support the job of the police to make it easier for us. Vehicles have also been given to help our movement within and around the state.
“Some people are afraid of coming to the police station or give information to the police. There is also a group called police-community relations community (PCRC). Members of the public can also pass their knowledge to PCRC and PCRC will, in turn, give the information to the police. It is another form of community policing.
“Another thing we are doing to enhance security is by raiding black spots. Any place that is giving trouble to the society, we always map out ways to prevent crime there. We also have effective swift response teams to emergencies. We have patrol teams situated everywhere. Once you call our control, police operatives will act immediately.”
Speaking on media roles as SFCG prepares its next phase project, Chairman, Common Ground Journalists and Veteran Radio Presenter, Mr Bemene Tanen sued for synergy with media organisations, adding that such relationship would go a long way in publicising the good works of SFCG in the state and region.
Mr Tanen also urged SFCG to use local dialects that apply to community dwellers to enable participants at the grassroots to understand and appreciate what SFCG has come to do in their respective domains.
Our correspondent reports that Search For Common Ground Head Office, Niger Delta, Mr Borve Paago who spoke through the State Coordinator of SFCG, Mr Cosmos Dinee thanked all participants for their partnership as he looked forward to working with them again in a subsequent peace-building project of SFCG in the state and region.
