By Brave Dickson
An international peacebuilding NGO known as Search for common ground (Sfcg) has held an enlarged town hall meetings with four communities in Rivers State.
The four communities which are: Sogho in Khana LGA, Omoku in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA, Choba in Obio/Akpor LGA and Buguma in Asari-Toru LGA were the newly added ones Sfcg included in its 2nd phase project known as ‘Deepening Peace in the Niger Delta.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Rivers State Coordinator of Sfcg, Mr Cosmos Dinee said: “The town hall meetings were meant to engage with the new project communities of Sfcg.
“Recall that at the end of the 1st phase of the Deepening Peace in the Niger Delta Project, we brought expansion into four more communities, making a total of seven communities.
“We have begun activities with them.
“We have successfully held town hall meetings in Sogho of Khana LGA, Choba of Obio/Akpor LGA, Omoku of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA and Buguma of Asari-Toru LGA respectively.
“The essence of these town hall meetings is to engage the larger members of these communities to let them know how to identify and address key drivers, actors and issues of conflicts in their LGAs.
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“And to also help us in developing our interventions, going forward with the communities.”
In his speech, one of the newly inaugurated Local Project Committee, Chairman for ONELGA, Comrade Ikechukwu Ojobah narrated his roles as saying that: “ONELGA communities are very much at home with Sfcg.
“Sfcg coming to assist us will boost our efforts in peacebuilding.
“My role as a local project committee chairman of Sfcg in ONELGA is to ensure that Sfcg is well-rooted in my LGA.”
Also, one of the Royal Highnesses, HRH, Eze Obioha 1 of Omoku, Uche Onwusa who gave his royal assurance to Sfcg said he would intimate his people on the importance of Sfcg.
He said: “I must thank Sfcg for being here today, because the peace we thought that we have achieved, has started becoming fragile.
“I do believe that the presence of Sfcg will stop any recurrence of the violence we witnessed in the past.
“I will engage my community through frequent meetings to narrate and explain the importance of Sfcg and how this international NGO wants to help deepen peace in my area.”
Our correspondent reports that the highlights of the town hall meetings were the inauguration of local project committees by Sfcg for its four new project communities, discuss on conflict issues as well as critical community stakeholders in attendance.
