Group Set To Curb Restiveness In N’Delta

The National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of Afrihealth Optonet Association, an NGO, Dr Uzodinma Adirieje, has said that the organisation was poised to promote enduring peace in the Niger Delta region through its strategic programmes.
Adirieje told newsmen in Umuahia at the end of a two-day training and capacity building workshop organised by the group for its members in Abia that the workshop was organised by the group in conjunction with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDF) with the sole aim of achieving sustainable citizens’ participation in the implementation of projects in the Niger Delta region.
He said that the workshop would take place in the nine Niger Delta states, beginning with Abia State.
He noted that the workshop was designed “to train persons on how to engage communities where the association would be involved in project execution’’ in the nation’s oil-bearing region.
Adirieje said that the participants “would help to advance the concept of sustainable citizens’ participation in governance, development and community life”.
He further explained that they (participants) would help to sensitise the communities on their civic responsibilities and how to hold their leaders accountable to the people.
He said that the trained persons, comprising sub-implementing partners from local governments and senatorial district coordinators, would help to organise town hall meetings of major stakeholders from the selected communities.
He said that the meeting would elect six members to form the Community Consultative Committee (CCC) that would regularly interface with the association, local and state governments as well as prominent people from within and outside the community on how to mobilise resources to fund community projects.
He said that the town hall meetings would also provide the forum for the people to identify and articulate their needs in terms of social amenities and infrastructure, among others.
Adirieje said that the association would study the community proposals and assist in providing expertise and attracting the necessary funding for the projects.
He said that for short-term projects, the organisation would intervene by mobilising resources from prominent indigenes of the community for immediate execution of the projects.
Besides, he said that the organisation would solicit local and state governments’ support and the UNDF intervention for the implementation of medium and long-term projects.
Adirieje expressed confidence that engaging the communities in the development process would help to douse youth restiveness in the region.
He said that the tension and militancy in the region arose from long years of neglect of the Niger Delta people and their communities, in the face of oil pollution and environmental degradation.
According to him, the activities of the association will help to achieve peace and stability in the region by ensuring sustainable development.
The Abia coordinator of the organisation, Mr Richard Okoro, also told newsmen that the group was determined to achieve infrastructure development and democracy at the grass roots through strategic engagement of the people.
Two participants at the workshop, Mr Hawkins Emerueh and Mrs Chinyere Ozigbo, described the training as beneficial, saying that they had been fully equipped on how to mobilise and engage the Niger Delta communities in the development process.