By BON PETERS, Port Harcourt

Foundation for Partnership Initiatives Niger Delta (PIND) has stressed the need for community participation in conflict resolution and crime fighting.

This was made known at the weekend in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, at a two-day training on ‘Peace building’ for some communities and youth leaders in Obio/Akpor and Emohua Local Government Areas.

The training programme Manager, Dr David Udofia, noted it was funded by the European Union (EU) and was aimed at also equipping participants with a strategic approach to tackling communal unrest as well as oil theft in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, 13 Local Government Areas of the state had so far benefited from the training which targeted a total of 66 communities in Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States.

His words "The project, which adopts a community-centred approach to transforming criminality and violence in the region would be implemented within 18 months and in partnership with other Stakeholders like the – ‘Stakeholders Democracy Network (SDN), Academic Associates Peace Works (AAPW) and Search for Common Ground.

Speaking he said, “The project aims at fostering an inclusive approach with a view to systematically addressing the drivers of violence and criminality in target states.”

“In Rivers, we have trained and equipped some Peace Ambassadors with requisite knowledge on effective management and response to crime as well as commitment to security of lives and collective protection of National assets.

“The training had so far been carried out in 13 Local Area councils of Andoni, Emohua, Port Harcourt, Obio Akpor, Gokana, Khana, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Eleme, Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru, Ahoada West, Ahoada East, and Okirika all in Rivers.

“At the end of the training, we would have successfully built and strengthened community leaders and volunteers across the 26 selected communities in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the programme have commended PIND and donor agency for the training and promised to impact their communities with knowledge gained.

One of them, Mr Amadi Chimezie of Rumuolumini community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area noted that the youths have lots of roles in fostering peace and curbing crime.

He said that engaging the youths in such training which had further broadened their perception would guard them from being vulnerable to unpatriotic activities in the society.

Another beneficiary, Mrs. Christianah Ajoku, from Eneka community, Obio/Akpor said that the training has exposed them to various collaborative measures to conflict resolutions. She promised to engage other women at the community level on the need to get involved in peace building.

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