The Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ICPR) has highlighted that consistent support of stakeholders can usher in lasting peace Nigeria
This was advocated by the Director-General IPCR Dr Joseph Ochogwu, at the opening of a 3-day joint dialogue programme for stakeholders on Early Warning Early Response systems (EWER), in Kaduna on Monday.
Speaking through Mr. Steve Agbo, National EWER, the DG said the event organized by the Institute in collaboration with MCN, WANEP, KSPC and other consortium members is part of the PARTNER project activities being implemented to enhance the effectiveness of EWER, and to improve response to conflicts from the community up to the National level.
The IPCR boss explained that the day’s dialogue session is aimed at enhancing participants’ knowledge in the areas of conflict analysis, EWER system, need for proactive response to early warning and the politics of delay or lack of response.
He added that the proposed highly interactive session will attempt to gauge participants’ understanding and view about civil military relations as it aligns with the objectives of the EWRG and the need to build trust and network across response agencies for effective information sharing, ideas and experiences for the effectiveness of early warning system.
In his goodwill message, the Emir of Zazzau, Chairman Council of Chiefs and Emirs in Kaduna State, Amb. Ahmad Nuhu Bamalli, said the dialogue programme is a response to the fervent desire and dreams for a lasting peace and a society without threat to lives and property.
Speaking through the Emir of Kauru, Alhaji Ya’u Usman; Amb. Bamalli said effective early warning rely on people and institutions with capacity and willingness to engage in prevention and response to conflict at multiple levels.
According to the Royal Father, “Peace building and social cohesion is about courage, courage to say no to conflict; yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiation and no to hostilities; yes to respect for agreement and no to act of greediness; yes to sincerity and no to duplicity and any act of provocation, all of these takes courage, strength and tenacity,” he said.
The Permanent Commissioner in the Kaduna State Peace Commission (KSPC), Hajiya Khadija Gambo, said there is need to be proactive in dealing with conflicts, instead of waiting till it happens and begin to run helter-skelter for solutions.
In his presentation titled: “Introduction to Civil Military Relations for Human Security in Nigeria” the Director of Programme CLEEN Foundation, Salaudeen Hashim, posited that improving state of civil military relations (CMR) in Nigeria is key to preserving human security.
He gave some roles of key stakeholders in promoting healthy CMR in the country to include; checking abuses by the security forces; ensure balance recruitment into state security forces; appropriate adequate resources for state security forces; develop mechanisms to ensure accountability in security forces; and approve disciplinary action imposed on indicted state security forces officer.
While the civil society on it’s part show respect to security forces; drum support for the military both in peace/conflict times; engage security forces on dialogues to clear areas of concern; monitor and expose human right abuses by military; expose (mis)use of military by the government/political class; and promote public awareness on unique nature of military culture.
Corroborating Mr. Hashim, a Professor of Criminology and Gender Studies in Kaduna State University, (KASU), Hauwa’u Evelyn Yusuf, called for enhancement of civil military relations in Nigeria to ensure sustainability of national security.
She averred that if the civil community runs away from it’s responsibility of protecting itself and wants the military to single-handedly protects it, then there is going to be trouble.
She noted that the military personnel are also humans who cannot always sacrifice their lives to protect the civil space, though it’s their mandatory assignment, buy overwhelming. “How many of the military personnel does Nigeria has in comparison to the over 200 million civil society persons?” she asked.
Prof. Yusuf said there is need to take a complimentary approach to our national security to the extent that both the civil society and the military personnel are comfortable working with each other without compromise.
