Dr Michael Tidi, Chairman of Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State on Tuesday said violent conflicts in the country persists because of neglect of aggrieved groups for a long period of time.
Tidi said this during his address at the Community Advocacy Workshop held at the Unity Hall, Government House Annex, Warri.
He said, “most of the violent conflicts occurred as a result of the aggrieved groups being avoided for a long period of time either by the other party or by the government which refused to take the necessary action at resolving the conflict.”
The Warri South Council Chairman also says that conflicts in most African countries were outgrowth of the legacy bequeathed to them by colonial rule, stressing that the colonial powers that created them had little or no regard for cultural affinity and political practices that existed.
“Large nationalities or ethnic groups were split between states while others which had little in common, besides some aspects of a history of warfare and enmity, were drawn into new states boundaries.
“Such amalgam have manifested themselves in the continuing conflicts in Nigeria, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola and other countries of Africa,” Tidi said.
Tidi, who moderated the panel of discussant during the workshop, added that greed, among other things on the part of leadership, was also a pointer to crisis in the country.
While noting that violent conflicts comes as a result of disagreement, Tidi, said the inability of people to manage disagreement also fuels violent conflicts.
Here therefore, implored all our participants of the workshop to put to good use all that they will learn there in their various communities and wherever they find themselves.
“All of us should be involved in the process of peace building and Community advocacy.
The society will gain if the youth, elders and all of us promote peaceful co-existence, while we will all lose if we allow violent conflicts to fester either by our actions or inaction. I wish you all successful deliberations.
He said the choice of Warri Federal Constituency for the workshop program was “truly heartwarming because peace and capacity building are processes that we must continuously build on as panacea for development in Warri Federal Constituency in particular, Delta State and Nigeria as a whole.”
“It is a statement of fact that where there is no peace, nothing works, and that is the reason why this workshop is highly recommended for our people.
“Peace as a by product of social justice, is a necessary lubricant that galvanises human conduct for positive and mutual co- habitation, Tidi said.
On his part, Chief Edwin Uzor JP Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace Building & Conflict Resolution, said the purpose of the workshop was to develop the skill and ability of community stakeholders to identify and address symptoms of conflicts and deal decisively with their root cause before they escalate into violence.
“This workshop is intended to educate community stakeholders on the importance of peace in communities, Local Government Areas and the state as a whole.
“As part of our mandate and as a pathway to bringing lasting peace to Delta State, local governments and communities in particular, His Excellency has approved this advocacy workshop in recognition of the vital role which peace plays in industrialization, employment, job creation, poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement,” Uzor said.
All communities in Warri Federal Constituency were well represented at the workshop.
