In an effort to address some of the lingering security challenges, violence and other social menace in several communities in Plateau State, stakeholders have brainstormed on strengthening the Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) systems.
The stakeholders expressed optimism that this will enable the appropriate authorities to rise to the occasion and address early warning signs of violence and stop it before it starts.
This strategy was the focal point of a two-day State-Level stakeholders consultation meeting in Jos the Plateau State capital towards the development of EWER strategy and Standard Operating Procedures in the entire North Central, organized by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) under the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria (SPRING) project, supported by the United Kingdom International Development.
Speaking at the programme, HD Country Manager, Chris Agoha, urged the stakeholders and to deploy result-oriented resolutions in order to produce an effective and inclusive EWER strategy that will mitigate violence in Plateau and in the North Central Region in general.
“Integrating tactical and strategic early warning approaches and sharing data among stakeholders will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the EWER system. Thus, addressing conflicts before they manifest has become crucial to minimize the ramifications and foster sustainable development.
“The importance of EWER cannot be overemphasized. Conflict interventions always become costlier than dealing with crises in terms of human life, productivity, and resources. The nature of warfare is mutating, with new security pressures and increasingly sophisticated technologies. Conflict EWER will need to adapt to these changing dynamics to address contemporary security challenges.
“In the ever-evolving landscape of global threats, the need for swift and effective response mechanisms is paramount. At its core, early warning and early response systems are intended to identify and analyse conflict trends, alert to conflict risk, inform decision-making and initiate timely responses to prevent violent conflict.
“Over the past two weeks, HD has held consultations with a broad spectrum of stakeholders, across the three senatorial zones in Plateau State, including the Nigeria Police Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Local Government Councils, Traditional and Religious Leaders, Community Stakeholders, and Non-State actors.
“The objective is to collaboratively develop a Response Strategy and SoPs through stakeholder consultations, ensuring inclusivity, alignment, and commitment to strengthening the EWER systems in Plateau State. At the end of the consultations, we expect to reach a consensus on priority challenges and opportunities for effective EWER systems in Plateau State,” he said.
During the session, the judiciary was also called upon to double their efforts and be thorough in passing judgements on offenders so that commensurate punishment can be passed according to the gravity of offences.
The stakeholders stressed that often times light sentences are given to dangerous criminals, and that such often embolden them to go back to their criminal activities and perpetrate it much intensely.
They expressed their concern at the revelation that several times criminals who are guilty of kidnapping, murder, attacks of communities, cow rustling, among other heinous crimes are often arrested and charged to court, but that the sentences they get are so light, and that they are easily freed.
And upon returning back to the communities, the stakeholders said, the criminals will increase the criminal activities, bearing in mind that even when they are caught and charged to court nothing serious would happen to them.
One of the stakeholders pointed out that such situation can be very frustrating, explaining that there are times security operatives go to communities to arrest perpetrators of crime and found that they are re-arresting people they have earlier arrested before.
According to the stakeholder, sometimes people caught with live ammunition are given very light sentences, and worse still the court sometimes give them option of fine for as low as even N10,000 (ten thousand Naira), and the criminal will happily pay, get freed and return back to his community to continue his criminal activities.
He advised that some crime should not have option of fine and the criminals should be allowed to serve the jail terms so that they can come out truly refine and repented, because apart from the lessons they will learn from confinement, there are also moral trainings, entrepreneurial skills acquisition training and other instructional teachings in the jail that can change them to become better persons in the society.
Highlight of the programme was the panel discussions which centered on overcoming inter-Agency coordination and collaboration hurdles, promoting community engagement and ownership, resource mobilization for full implementation of the Plateau EWER strategy.
The stakeholders of the programme were drawn from the various State and Non-state sectors including security personnel, traditional rulers, Plateau indigenous groups, the State House of Assembly, the ALGON, Plateau peace building agency, private sector, NGOs, etc.