Over two hundred peace building related cases in Bayelsa Communities have been successfully attended to as part of the transforming criminality and violence project.
This indication was given at the State Peace Architecture for the month of July at the Ministry of Community Development Conference Hall at the State Secretariat Complex in Yenagoa.
Participants at the meeting brainstormed on how to sustain the peace building project across different communities in the State.
The State Peace Architecture is a creation of the European Union Funded Peace Project in the Niger Delta with its implementing partner Search for Common Ground.
The initiative is hinged on a Community centred approach in transforming criminality and violence in 66 communities selected from 33 Local Government Areas in 3 States of Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta.
With the 18 month project over, stakeholders in the 16 selected communities from the 8 LGAs of Bayelsa State are meeting under the State Peace Architecture to seek ways of continuing with the scheme which has brought relative peace to the area.
Chairman of the State Peace Architecture, Mr. Alfred Walson-Belemote who is also the Commissioner for Community Development says with over 200 cases attended to across the communities within the period, there is need for continuity.
Represented by the Secretary of the SPA, Dr. Preye Inebaraton he stresses that already 16 projects are ongoing in the communities as a means of providing alternative livelihoods for natives and youths as part of the peace building efforts just as there is a clarion call for the establishment of a Community Peace Commission in Bayelsa State.
In a remark, the Chairman of the Bayelsa Traditional Rulers Council, King Bubraye Dakolo who is the Ibenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom whose message was delivered by the Vice Chairman of the Council and Obanobhan of Ogbia, King Dumaro Charles-Owaba commends the SPA for the interventions so far, calling for more engagements with the traditional institutions to achieve set objectives.
In attendance at the forum were leadership of Communities Peace Architecture, Local Government Peace Architecture and representatives of security agencies, the Christian Association of Nigeria, Civil Society, the Media and the Ministry of Community Development.
SOURCE: ALAMBO DATONYE, FRCN BAYELSA
