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 By Chukwudi Abiandu

It is an eternal truth that the needs and aspirations of the people of Delta State are many. But of utmost importance among them is infrastructure development, growth in human capital and improved social harmony. And these form the core of the mission of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in Delta State for Deltans and residents in the state.

The importance of working for social harmony in any society cannot be over emphasized; it speaks about the enthronement of the valued atmosphere of peace among the populace. This is the context in which the recent Delta State launch in Asaba of “A community–Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and violence in the Niger Delta” must be appreciated. At the Delta State launch of the project, the body language of the Governor showed clearly that he took a profound and rational decision in giving the State government’s support for the project to position the State for peace. And this aligned with his campaign promise in his meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced Peace and Security campaign promises to the people.

Informed opinions agree that peace simply means living in an environment devoid of hatred, where every corner is filled with love, care and respect; where conflicts are not left to fester but handled decisively and dissolved. In other words, it speaks to the point that peace is a way to achieve a better, happier and safer life for the human persons; it is a quest buoyed by a desire to live and live better.

It is therefore no wonder that Matthew McLaughlin opines that peace is a key component of sustainable development. He said: “A healthy business environment is important for development, and in conflict-ridden communities, business operations are disrupted due to the unreliable social services and the prevalence of social problems such as poverty, hunger and inequality.”

At the Delta State launch, the Country Director, Search for Common Ground, Mrs. Fatima Abubakar Madaki expressed gratitude to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other state authorities for their exceptional support for the launch of the European Union funded project and commended the governor and his administration. The support, according to her, marked a noteworthy milestone in the collaborative endeavours to promote inclusive community security approaches and address the root causes of violence and criminality in the Niger Delta.

She said: “The project we gather to launch today seeks to foster inter-community collaboration around issues of social inclusiveness, lack of economic opportunities, and environmental degradation; to build trust and collaboration between communities and government and security actors for more participatory, community-centred security operations; to leverage arts and culture-based approaches to foster social cohesion between divided communities both online and offline; and to facilitate policy change to institutionalize community-centred security approaches at the local, state, regional, national and international levels.

“As we embark on this new project, it is crucial to recognize the profound impact of collaborative peace building efforts between partners, communities, governments, security agencies and the private sector, as well as the international community. Today’s launch therefore signified a renewed commitment to the vision of a peaceful Niger Delta, drawing inspiration from past successes and the resilient spirit of the communities we serve.

“Moreover, this transformative approach of Search and Partners aligns with the Delta State Government’s MORE Agenda, which prioritises the employment of young people through agro-businesses, and promoting MSMEs, multinational businesses and rural development with care for the physically challenged.

“The government’s commitment to curbing criminality in communities, as demonstrated in the government’s support to security agencies, assisting community services, recognizing traditional institutions and establishing a stakeholder forum for peace and security further highlights the important alignment between the efforts of government  and the project objectives, and also a crucial collaborative step towards building sustainable peace in our communities.”

Pointing out that the interventions and seeming alignments represent a bottom-up, inclusive and community-centred approach as well as recognizing the significance of community-led initiatives, Mrs. Madaki said Search for Common Ground therefore sought to empower and engage diverse stakeholders to contribute to the socio-economic development of Delta State, fostering a safer and more secure environment for all.

Seeing value in the European Union funded programme, especially as it is in line with his administrations MORE agenda of Enhanced Peace and Security, Governor Oborevwori expressed support for the European Union funded initiative, saying that the Delta state Government will continue to collaborate with various initiatives geared towards sustainable peace building and development in the Niger Delta for community-based peace architecture, youth employment and conflict resolution platforms.

Represented by his Deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Governor Oborevwori noted that the European Union funded projects were designed to impart knowledge, skills and attitudes in a systematic manner to achieve a renewed sense of civic responsibility in the target communities through the building of strong and enduring intra and inter-community relationships.

The Governor said: “This is obviously in tandem with our goal of enhanced peace and security through youth engagement and empowerment, creation of job opportunities through infrastructural renewal, and a new policy thrust in our education system that prioritises skills acquisition.

“One of the triggers of unrest and instability in any society is financial exclusion, lack of social cohesion and the absence of shared values.” For Governor Oborevwori, despair and discontent in the general populace bred trouble and should be tamed.

He commended the European Union and other partners for the programme, expressing confidence that the atmosphere of peace prevailing in Delta State will be greatly enhanced through these projects.

He said: “The European Union deserves applause for making their resources available to us in this regard. I must thank them for their interest and willingness to invest in 24 communities in Delta State, spread across 12 local government areas. This is a huge human capital development effort, and it is my expectation that those who will be entrusted with managing the different aspects of the programme will do their job with utmost zeal, dedication and integrity.

“I am persuaded that the ‘bottom-up, inclusive and community-centred approach’ of this project will inspire hope in our people, foster behavioural changes and give them a sense of belonging. It is therefore incumbent on the project managers to display the highest levels of fairness, transparency and accountability in the discharge of their duties.”

Also buying into the initiative of the EU funded project, the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, who was represented by Hon. Bridget Anyafulu (Oshimili South) said the official launch of the project represented an important milestone in the quest for peace and socio-economic and political development of the Niger Delta.

Rt. Hon. Guwor, while commending Search for Common Ground and its partners and the European Union and Delta state Government for undertaking the project, also applauded the bottom-up approach to fighting crime, violence and building peace places great emphasis on the empowerment of youths within their respective communities.

The Speaker noted that in terms of development, the possibilities of the Niger Delta region are vast, if not limitless. The oil and gas producing region of Nigeria – Niger Delta – is the mainstay of the national economy, thus accounting for over 60 per cent of Nigerians’ revenue and foreign exchange earnings.

“The region is also rich in arable land for farming, water bodies for fishing, well-endowed with solid minerals, and a growing and well-educated and skillful populace capable of servicing a modern economy,” Guwor said, pointing out that with a wide array of bio-diversities, historical and cultural sites, cuisines and hotels, and a decent network of transportation by land, water and air linking the region, Niger Delta has enormous potential for development of tourism and to be a major hub for foreign investment. He also recalled that in the past, in terms of actual development of the region that the narrative was different plagued by widespread unemployment, poverty, youth restiveness, and herdsmen/farmers clashes, amid crimes of rape and killings of farmers by herdsmen.

Guwor continued: “All of us have now realised that if we do not want to lose this paradise, we must do something. The recent past governments, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) past governments of Delta State have been committed to eradicating crime, instability, and violence in the state, and have done remarkably well in addressing these issues. The same concern and commitment are reflected and represented in the Development Agenda of the Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Francis Oborevwori – the MORE Agenda, which has ‘Enhanced Peace and Security’ as one of its main pillars.

“The community and youth-centred approach to ‘addressing the systemic drivers of violence and criminality in Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State’ is consistent with the vision of the state government and the yearnings and aspirations of the people of Delta State,” the Speaker said.

For him, this will compliment the efforts of Delta State Government and facilitate the realization of the cherished goals of the government and people of Delta State for a crime-free, peaceful, inclusive, fair and sustainable development of Delta State.

What is left is for the people of Delta State to appreciate the support that the administration of Governor Oborevwori is giving to the European Union funded community centred approach to transforming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta States by cooperating to see the project succeed in Delta State for peace and progress of the state.

• Chukwudi Abiandu is Media Adviser to the Honourable Commissioner for Information, Delta State.