IPCR inaugurates community-based early warning response system in Ebonyi

By Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki

In response to the peace resolution at the border communities of Cross River and Ebonyi state, Institute for Peace and Conflicts Resolution,IPCR has inaugurated community-based Early Warning Early Response System committee in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state capital. We recall that the youths from border communities of Cross River and Ebonyi state where communal war broke out since 2005 accepted to end hostility on September,2019.

Performance the inauguration during the celebration of five years ceasefire at the Women Development Center, Abakaliki the head, National Conflicts Early Warning Response System unit, National Boundary Commission,Steve Agbo described the committee as an eyes of the Commission. Agbo stated that the institute has been working with the Cross River, Ebonyi Youth Peace Development Movement, (CREBYPDM) since 2019 principally to enhance ownership and community participation in Early Warning Early Response System in the country.

He added that with the initiative,the people could easily identify the indicator of conflicts and solve their problems by themselves before they would escalate to violence. According to him, the committee would engender collaborative negotiation, multi-stakeholders engagements and censuses building valuable for synchronizing issues with the aim of achieving a communality of purpose among members of diverse interests.

“Off course, the rising issues of conflict across the country which has engendered the country’s socialization and culture of violence in the communities has made the institute to take decisive action by establishing community resilience mechanism as it has happened today” he explained. The national president of the movement, Paschal Nwenyi, in his speech disclosed that the event was meant to celebrate the 5-year ceasefire at all parts of border of both states as well as to inaugurate Committee for Conflict Resolutions and Peace Building.

”A community based Early Warning, Early Response System that make up members of the Cross River-Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement found to be on the part of conflict prevention and peace building in the crisis affected border communities of the two states has been officially inaugurated” he said. He mentioned the affected areas to include Izzi, Abakaliki and Ikwo LGAs of Ebonyi State and their Cross River counterparts involving Yala, Obubra and Abi council areas.

The State governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru represented by the Commissioner for Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr. Donatus Ilang said that the citizens of the two states were glad over the peace initiative owing to the fact that peace is the fundamental unit of human existence He added that a similar event had been organized between Ngbo people of Ebonyi State and their brothers at Agila in Benue State recently and thanked everyone who had worked for the success of the event. “What we have demonstrated here today has shown that both Ebonyi and Cross River are unique and peace loving and my government will transform same to all the parts of the state” he assured.