FG, stakeholders tasked on conflict prevention

Paged Initiative, a non governmental organisation that amplify the voices of grassroots people particularly women and children affected by crises has expressed deep concerns on the lack of adequate attention to issues of conflict and survivors in the country.

Its Managing Director Ummi Bukar, raised the alarm while fielding questions from the media, after the video screening of its documentary “Uprooted” at the Awe primary school Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) Camp in Awe local government area of Nasarawa state.

The documentary “Uprooted” is about women who have survived Boko Haram attacks and how they have been able to pick up their lives gradually, and how women against all odds are now helping their families to stand in the most unfavourable conditions unlike the stereotype placed on them by the society as weaker vessels.

Bukar expressed shock that conflicts is gradually becoming a norm as citizens nolonger care about what happens to victims, she therefore called on government and all stakeholders to ensure that prevention measures are in place in order to bring an end to crises in Nigeria.

“What happened that Nigeria is with so much conflict from Boko Haram conflict is the farmers, herdsmen conflict, tribal conflict, religious conflict etc. People have become desensitized to news and conflict so when you hear that people died if they are not your people you don’t even get offended and so, the first thing Nigerians want to know is what is the persons tribe, religion.

“You are living your life and one day all of a sudden everything scatters and you have to start afresh. It is important that we put this in perspective for Nigeria so that they will understand how distabilizing conflicts are and start paying adequate attention victims,” she said.

“From what we heard from them, alot of them can not go back to their homes because they have been kicked out of their homes because of conflict. It is important that one feels comfortable in their own communities and country.

The conflict issues is not being addressed I think there should be conflicts prevention measures by the government and security operatives so that it doesn’t happen again because the implications of conflict is just terrible,” she stressed.

The MD explained that the choice of Awe community for the video screening was to know their conflict experiences are, encourage the media to tell human interest stories that depict the true conditions of these voiceless people so appropriatw authorities can know how best to addres it

“We are here today to meet the people who ran away from their we want to hear from them we want to 

“We want to hear from  the IDP’s in different communities around Benue and Nasarawa state due to the farmers, herdsmen conflict, because we have been working with people affected by conflict in the north east and we are expanding to other conflicts affected areas,’ she said.

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