Peace-Governance: Borno Residents Call for Improved Stakeholders Collaboration, Synergy To End Youth Violence
Members of Borno Communities have recently renewed their call for better collaboration and synergy amongst multilateral stakeholders in confronting the growing insecurity, especially the cases of youth violence and related extremism.
The residents have also made case for the expansion of the capacity building in other local areas to tackle the latent conflict in communities.
The call was made at the end of a town-hall meeting organized for key stakeholders from Jere (Old Maiduguri Ward) and Biu (Yawi ward ) by the Center for Advocacy Transparency and Accountability Initiative (CATAI).
CATAI is a well-known leading body for the promotion of peace and accountability in the public sector and the local communities.
At a town hall meeting, the third in series, after months of training and advocates on the need for communities to stand up to rising violence and extremism amongst young people in their community, the stakeholders brainstormed on “pertinent issues in their communities that require the duty bearers’ immediate attention”.
Those following trends of events in Borno would attest that armed violence and related hostile activities are becoming the order of the day in parts of the state.
To this end, CATAI had led in organising about 60 volunteers and leaders in communities for coaching in different approaches to using dialogue and non-kineticetic approaches to building peace.
At the last Town Hall, which bring to end CATAI’s project on Promoting Civic Participation in Community Building in selected Borno LGAs of Biu and Jere, the volunteers who are now members of the Peace Governance Forum, had robust interactions that lasted about 5 hours at the White Arena Event Center where a far-reaching resolution was made.
The participants had called on members of the State House of Assembly “on the need to review policies and laws that will significantly reduce the formation of groups within Old Maiduguri, Jere LGA and Biu.
“The participants from both Old Maiduguri and Yawi requested that traditional leaders (District Heads) should work on ensuring peaceful coexistence in the communities by reinforcing the local community leaders such as Bulama’s and Lawan.
“The participants from both Old Maiduguri requested that community heads should be aware of what sort of activities are happening in the communities by establishing a feedback mechanism within the communities.
That “CATAI should visit political office holders to stop using Political thugs (ECOMOGs) in a view to addressing violence and responding to issues of insecurity ahead of the 2023 election.
The town hall also called on Religious leaders in both LGAs “to use the religious gatherings to advise parents on the ills of drug abuse, gang fights and another menace in the community.
The town hall resolved that “laws should be put in place to curb theft and other issues affecting women and children in the Yawi ward”.
The group agreed that all participants should “step down the knowledge gained from the activity to other members of the community and frequent visits by members of the Community peace Governance platform to the community to ensure compliance.
They also resolved that “community members in the Yawi ward keep the social welfare board informed about cases of GBV in the community”.
The members of the Peace Governance Forum finally implied the need to build Synergy between CJTF and Bulamas (local chiefs) via the creation of a board and framework by the Office of the Attorney General of the state.
These propositions and resolutions were unanimously adopted by the town hall and subsequently endorsed by various leaders including the representatives of Emir of Biu LGA
Lawan Ibrahim Hassan; the Vice-Chairman Biu LGA, Hon Hassan Pinda; the Member of House of Assembly, Biu LGA, Hon Yakubu Gambo Kimba; the District Head of Old Maiduguri in Jere LGA, Abba Umar Shehu Abubakar; and the House of Assembly member from Jere LGA, Hon Aji Kolo Khadi.
