Residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, especially Diobu and D/Line axis, have blamed the recently erupted cult wars in the state on the government’s poor conflict resolution mechanisms.
Speaking with our correspondent on the menace of cultism in the state and the need for proper handling of the scourge, a security consultant, Pastor Wisdom Nwaiwu stressed the importance of establishing effective conflict resolution mechanisms to address disputes among the various cult groups, which he said, will promote peace, as well as, prioritize the security of lives of Nigerians, including, national assets.
Pastor Nwaiwu maintained that such poor mechanisms have contributed to the cult wars in the state, which, according to him, had claimed lives, as property worth millions of naira, either damaged or looted, allowing disputes to escalate among the groups into violence.
On community engagement, Pastor Wisdom Nwaiwu pointed out that engaging with local communities to promote conflict resolution and peaceful co-existence demands an urgent response from the government and other stakeholders. He further said that effective conflict resolution can prevent violence and promote peace in Rivers State.
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Also lending credence on the need for aggressive development as recipe for resolving cult-wars in Rivers State, an Estate Manager, Mrs Rosemary Kala-Ogolo, said that aggressive development can address the root causes of cult-violence, including, poverty, unemployment, and social inequality.
Kala-Ogolo maintained that investing in infrastructure, such as roads, schools, youth development centres, and healthcare facilities, to improve the quality of life for residents. She said that to curb the excesses of perpetrators, the government, at all levels should provide economic opportunities, such as job training and entrepreneurship programs, to reduce poverty and inequality.
On job creation, Mrs Rosemary Kala-Ogolo, an Enugu State University of Technology-trained Estate Valuer, disclosed that aggressive development stands to create jobs and economic opportunities, which reduces the appeal of cultism.
She, however, called on government at all levels, to see development of the youths’ of Nigeria as necessary, which can improve the quality of life for them and other residents, thereby reducing the likelihood of cult-related violence, both in Rivers State in particular, and Nigeria in general.
