The Ministry of Security and Ethical Orientation of Gombe State has been urged to work closely with traditional institutions and security agencies on conflict mitigation.
The Conflict Special for State2State Activity in Bauchi State, Mr. Mathias Yake, gave the advice at a three-day training for staff of the Gombe State Ministry of Security and Ethical Orientation to promote a better understanding of key principles of dialogue for conflict mitigation.
The training by the USAID supported State2State Activity Project, is aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of participants on conflict mitigation approaches. It is equally to assist participants to develop a contextual conflict mitigation plan and providing technical support for the implementation of the conflict mitigation plan.
The Staff of the Gombe State Ministry of Security and Ethical Orientation are expected after the training, to carry out periodic conflict assessment by identifying root causes of conflict, using the Conflict Tree, which helps in identifying the roos causes, the conflict and its effects.
Consequently, Mr. Yake said “collaboration with the traditional institutions and security agencies would provide the ministry with relevant conflict reports that would be used as early warning signs and for developing mitigation plans to prevent future occurrence.”
He said because the traditional institution and security agencies work on peace, conflict and security issues, certain data with them could help in judging the future by what occurred previously.
Overall, he said history and record-keeping of conflict occurrences play key roles in conflict assessment and analysis.
Mr Yake said; “That is one of our key recommendations to the ministry. We told them that moving forward, work closely, especially with traditional institutions and security agencies. They have some level of data with them. So, collect, report on them, do your bit of analysis, keep the records with you, so that the record can help you serve as an early warning sign that when this particular sort of conflict that has happened before, maybe is currently happening, it can help you come out with mitigation strategies to prevent it happening in the future.”
He said a key aspect for ensuring conflict mitigation or prevention was knowing the history and dynamics of a particular conflict.
According to him, history plays a key role in conflict assessment and analysis, hence the history of a place needed to be understood, to understand the dynamics of a particular conflict.
“There are some key conflict issues happening today that have a long history and not until you understand the history, you might not be able to nib the conflict in the bud,” said Mr.Yake.
The Citizen Engagement and Capacity Building Specialist with the State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness, State2State, Activity Project in Gombe State, Mr. Philip Kita, said; “what informed the training is because conflict management is in the core of the project’s mandate.
“Safe environment informs our purpose, which is managing conflicts in the communities of Gombe State so that the good environment or the peaceful environment required for governance to thrive can be established,” Mr. Kita said.
The Permanent Secretary of the Gombe State Ministry of Security and Ethical Orientation, Mr. Jidaya Abba, who represented the Commissioner, Mr. Adamu Kupto, thanked the organisers of the training.
He said there were collaborations with the traditional institutions, as well as security agencies on matters of security in Gombe State, but that the training would now heighten the level of engagement with them.
“We have a directorate that is more concerned with the aspect of the conflict. We use to get letters from the SS and Pol., telling us or informing us that there is a conflict in a certain area. Go and find out and bring out a report. So you see, now it’s an added advantage for us to mitigate conflict. We use to have complaints from communities. So, with this kind of workshop, it will now develop us more on how to solve these kinds of problems, “he added.
Some of the participants at the training told Voice of Nigeria that they were taking back to the Ministry a lot of skills and knowledge for enhanced peace and security of Gombe State.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
