Mediaage NG News – ABUJA, Nigeria
The Programs Manager of Global Rights, Edosa Ovaiwe said one of the measures to curb insecurity in the Northwest region of the country is to get communities to begin to take ownership of their own security and build their capacities
This is an idea he said birthed the Northwest Regional Conference On Women, Peace, and Security last year.
At this year’s event themed “Promoting Best Practices For Inclusive Security and Peacebuilding Processes in Northwest Nigeria”, he said to improve the security approach in the region is to bring in women who play a super role in the whole efforts in peace and conflicts resolutions.
“One of the key things we seek to achieve is to see that we have women who are brought into discussions concerning this issue of insecurity, Mr. Ovaiwe said on Tuesday in Abuja.
“Communities are now responding to these women through the Community Dialogue Committee (CDC). They work together through our early warning system. Our international partners/sponsors, traditional rulers in these regions have been helpful”, he revealed.
Mr. Ohiawe also added that the expertise of stakeholders from the region are utilised and as observed, there’s been a reduction of attacks in this region since last year.
“It is hoped that it is also escalated to other regions”, he said.
Alhaji Sani Umar Jibrin, Sarkin Yakin Gagi, District Head Gagi, Sokoto, said the state government is very committed to providing opportunities for women.
“There’s no better empowerment given”, he disclosed.
“The state government has the four agencies for female education and is creating the enabling environment for female education. I believe it has provided with the state government composition of the Executive Council and other key appointments, there has been female representation”, he stated.
The traditional ruler further said the state has in collaboration with Global Rights been able to establish CDCs in the state communities that cut across all professions and categories of persons, including the disabled.
“We’ve been engaged in multilevel sensitisation and advocacy aimed at engaging women in decision making, peace building and community resilience. The state government is doing well in this regard and will continue so”, he enumerated.
He also said one of the ways of tackling insecurity in the region is to create more awareness and information sharing platforms through the youth, mobilisation of town hall meetings, training of religious leaders on how to identify informants to bandits.
Patriotism he added must be prioritised and the country must be respected by all. “We must sacrifice and everyone must be a security, irrespective of gender, religion and background”, he said.
Barr. Rebecca Sako-John said because of the antecedents of nefarious activities by bandits in Kaduna State, the government took a bold step in creating the Kaduna State Peace Commission to come up with strategic plans in resolving and avoiding conflicts.
She said the Commission had its pioneers drawn from backgrounds, compositions at the local government and state levels. “As a result, people are beginning to open up and work with the Commission, sending petitions to mediate between conflicting parties. Citizens are given the opportunity to monitor civil peace disruptors”, she stated.
She also said the House of Kaduna Family was formed to resolve religious crisis and has been effective so far.
Global rights works at the intersection of the protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights through good governance. Mandatorily, women’s rights, access to remedies, and disability issues are focal threads woven through the fabric of all its programmes.
The two day event ends on Wednesday, 17th April, 2024.