Okowa Commends Uzor Peace Advocacy Team, Assures Of Govt Continuous Support

–Blank NEWS Online (NIGERIA) –From Michael J. EKOKORUWE:

Delta State Governor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has commended Chief Edwin Uzor, Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, for the state peace advocacy and capacity building workshop and assured of government continuos support towards the success of the programme.

Governor Okowa gave the commendation at Ika federal constituency, during the peace advocacy workshop held at the 500 – capacity lecture hall, University of Delta, Owa-Oyibo campus, Delta State.

Okowa, represented by Rt. Hon. Festus Ovie Agas, Chief of Staff Government House said, since inception of the office of the Special Adviser on peace building and conflict resolution was created, the narrative of the department has changed for good.

He stated that without peace and security, there cannot be development, emphasizing that Delta State has been relatively peaceful and doing well, compared to some states in Nigeria. The governor commended traditional rulers, the clergy and stakeholders for their role in peace and security of the state.

Okowa urged traditional rulers to always assist the government to communicate government programmes and policies to the people as they are nearer, just as he urged Chief Edwin Uzor to take the peace advocacy to more communities and streets of Delta State.

Speaking during the workshop, Chief Uzor said, efforts are made to identify communities where there is threat to peace and nip such crisis on the bud, adding that petitions received are resolved so that such issues do no escalate into intra or inter community unrest.

He noted that communities must have peace and live in peace, which according to him, is essential for all forms of infrastructural development as crisis and hostile behaviour brings about underdevelopment, disunity and poverty.

Uzor enjoined traditional rulers, community leaders, opinion leaders, women and the youth to be proactive and handle crisis in their communities, adding that the purpose of the workshop is to develop the skill and ability of community stakeholders to identify and address symptoms of conflicts and deal decisively with their root causes before they escalate into violence.

For his part, the chairman of the workshop for Ika federal constituency, Chief Festus Okubor said, “No Nation or society can grow without peace, emphasizing that Delta State under Governor Okowa has experienced peace as never before and commended Chief Uzor for the peace initiatives in Delta State. He urged stakeholders to deepen the peace in their various communities.

Traditional rulers from Ika federal constituency who presented goodwill messages commended Governor Okowa and Chief Uzor for the peace advocacy workshop, noting that Governor Okowa has achieved because of the peace in Delta state, adding that the crisis experienced in some parts of Nigeria is the absence of peace and urged government to put more efforts in sustaining the existing peace.

The peace advocacy workshop had the theme; “Peace for All; More Gains, Zero Pains”, just as three lectures were delivered by Dr. David Oba, Department Of Science National Open University of Nigeria, who spoke on “Communal Crisis and Hostile Behaviours; Victims and Pains”, and Uwomano Ben Okpevra Ph.D, Delta State University Abraka who spoke on “Fostering Harmonious Peaceful Co-existence in the community; A veritable tool for Economic Transformation”, while Amb. Mrs. Caroline Usikpedo – Oliseowe, Special Assistant to Governor Okowa on Youth Development who spoke on “The Role of Youths in Facilitating Enabling Environment for a Harmonious Working Synergy between Host Communities and Investors”.

In attendance were the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Charles Aniagwu, traditional rulers and clergy from Ika nation, Special Assistants, Executive Assistants, Special Advisers to Governor Okowa on Peace Building And Conflict Resolution, selected stakeholders from Ika federal constituency among others.