Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai has launched the Conflict Early Warning Early Response System (CEWERS)
He said early warning and response during conflicts would no doubt contribute in helping the State overcome conflicts.
The CEWERS is an application created by the Kaduna State Peace Commission to reinvigorate the chain of events from when threats are detected, reported and responded to during conflicts.
Governor El-Rufai who reiterated his commitment to end banditry and communal clashes lamented that bandits have unleashed fear in communities across the state which resulted in killings and stealing of properties.
“The mission to resolve communal conflict remains a priority to us, this State has suffered too much and for too long from violent conflict. Banditry is now a problem across the state but complicating communal relation is more diverse within the communities.“
According to El-Rufai, victims of bandit attacks have often turned against those they believe share the same ethnic or religious affiliations with the bandits which in turn causes more conflicts amongst people.
The Governor also commended the leadership of the Kaduna Peace Commission and their contribution towards securing relative peace and security in the State.
Speaking on the launch, the Executive Vice Chairman, Kaduna Peace Commission, Priscilla Ankut said the commission had since inception been saddled with the need to strengthen the mechanisms for monitoring and preventing conflict in the state by ensuring early detection and timely action to mitigate threats to peace and security.
According to her, Conflict Early Warning Early Response System, CEWERS came about from the need to reinvigorate the chain of events from when threats are detected, reported and also the response time.
“We also recognized the reality that response must not come in the form of military force only to prevent conflict. It can be through dialogue, negotiation, mediation and inter-agency cooperation to ease pain and douse tension.“
Ankut mentioned that, in this era of data and information sharing, the commission is giving people power in their hands to live the experience of shared humanity, in practical terms so as to help have a peaceful and progressive Kaduna State.
She explained that as a commission and in the digital age, it is a matter of matching the resources out there to tackle the problems of threat to peace by reporting incidences before they get worse.
She also commended the enormous support enjoined by development partners, the United Nations Development Programme and the Norwegian Government for their assistance in making CEWERS a reality.
“They have given us all that we requested and even more. They funded the design and implementation of the CEWERS and equipped us with hardware to make this wonderful dream come true.
“Our civil society partners, the media, different agencies, security and civil partners that have been galvanized under the responders and tension managers who will assist us in making the system to achieve its objectives have been selfless, hence, we are grateful for their role in this,“ the Executive Vice Chairman added.
PIAK
