By Our Correspondent
From November 19 to 20 , 2015, Asaba, the serene capital of Delta State will be agog with a flurry of activities as the crème of personalities from the West African sub-region converged on it for an important event being put together by the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, a Niger Delta based Non-Governmental Organization.
Ghanaian High Commissioner in Nigeria, HE Amb. William Azumah Awinador-Kanyirige and the Coordinator, Amnesty Program, Brig-Gen P.T. Boroh (RTD), will lead the crème of personalities to the two days international peace and security conference, tagged ‘’Delta 2015’’, with the theme, ‘’Peace and Security: A Panacea For Consolidating Democracy in West Africa.’’
The state governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa will be the Chief Host, while the Conference will be chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victor Peretomode, among other eminent personalities.
CEPEJ believe that the current security challenges in the West African sub-region have attracted global attention and it is therefore necessary for a wide spectrum of stakeholders to synergize efforts, and proffer solutions to the threats to our democracies.
Specifically, deadly threats of the Tuaregs in Mali, the Islamic fundamentalists; Boko Haram in the North East Nigeria, the resources based conflicts in Niger Delta and the rising wave of insecurity in other parts of the country, stick out like sore thumbs.
Delta state is one of the oil producing states in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria with Asaba as capital and Asaba was chosen because it is the seat of the government of Delta state with adequate security and a friendly environment.
We view the pockets of civil strife in the West African sub-region as rather alarming because the negative impact of the conflicts could, nonetheless, affect the entire Continent, thus overshadowing the profit accruing to the arms manufacturers which flood West Africa, especially Nigeria and Mali with deadly weapons to fester the conflicts.
We urge West African leaders to make considerable efforts towards ending acts of violence and build sustainable peace and development in the sub-region for the betterment of the people.
The Conference would among other things, provide understanding, acceptability and support by all stakeholders to chart the way forward towards addressing the threats of insecurity in Africa and articulate effective approach to address the insurgency, and deliberate on the reasons for the insurgency in Africa
Besides, it will create awareness on how to prevent social vices and criminal activities in order to reduce crime rate through information sharing among stakeholders to foster and sustain the economic development of our dear sub-region.
Again, the confab will sensitize the people on the need to create sustainable and peaceful environment through peace advocacy and facilitate the reviewing, enacting and institutionalizing good governance among the countries.
