Former Army Chief Tasks LG bosses On Conflict Sensitivity
By Juliet Vincent
Chairman of the Middle Belt Brain Trust (MBBT) and former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) has tasked heads of administration in the local governments to be conflict sensitivity while running the affairs of the LGs.
Gen Agwai stated this at a two-day conflict sensitivity training for local government chairmen and top LG officials which held in Pankshin, Plateau State.
The General who identified some of the causes of conflicts blamed the tendency by people to copy what they see on social media.
“The world has become a global village
People can view developments from everywhere through the social media and this has come with its challenges,” he stated.
He added that one of the challenges of the social media on security is the copy cat syndrome where he said people tend to copy what they see happening in other climes.
He recalled that when he was Chief of Army Staff and was in the process of transforming the Nigerian army he noted the changing nature of violent conflicts where people tie explosives on themselves and detonate them to exert damage on others but like said it cannot happen in Nigeria as Nigerian love themselves but that shortly after that, it started happening in Nigeria.
He said internal distress has become so alarming and not restricted to developing countries as even develop countries like the US had to battle with it.
“Before the concentration is to fight other countries but what we have now are internal challenges to the extent that countries have destroyed what they built with their own hands and internally displaced persons,” he said.
Gen Agwai said security is a requisite for development as the two go hand in hand and advised the local government chairmen to ensure they provide the two saying they are fundamentals to providing the right leadership.
He said to ensure peaceful coexistence leaders must ensure equity fairness inclusivity adding that what they spend in maintaining peace is far less than what they would spend to resolve conflicts and admonished the local government chairmen to show leadership on all occasions stressing that in the event that they cannot do some, they should delegate responsibilities.
Former Vice Chancellor of Veritas University, Prof Mike Kwanashie, who served as one of the resource persons at the workshop, said new methods are needed by leaders at all levels to avoid conflicts and ensure security of lives and property.
He said this is because Nigerian leaders have over the years made same mistakes have been made over and over again.
Having effective local government leaders who are autonomous would avert much of the current crisis being experienced and advised them to develop empathy for the people they govern.
He said the local government Chairmen in Plateau state are important to peace and security in Nigeria as the middle belt holds the key to the survival of Nigeria while within the middle belt some states hold the key.
Director General of the Plateau Peace Building Agency, Julie Sanda noted the importance of training local government bosses of conflict sensitivity saying it would boost their capacities to manage conflict situations.
The training was attended by all the local government chairmen in Plateau state and top LGA staff including secretaries to local governments, supervisory councillors and heads of departments.