Stakeholders have converged on Kaduna with the aim and objectives of charting an effective means of sounding early warning for communal conflicts and alternative dispute resolution and management.
Participants for the three-day workshop, drawn from Katsina, Zamfara and Kaduna State consisted of civil society organizations, actors in justice departments, community heads, members of the press, peace advocates among others.
The capacity training, organized by International Alert and SPRING in collaboration with UK International Development and TETRA TECH International Development would focus on building and strengthening capacities and skills of stakeholders in alternative dispute resolution, climate change resilience, early warning for conflicts, insecurity and communal frictions, according to Deputy Team Lead, SPRING, Dr. Priscilla Ankut.
Addressing the gathering, Ankut stressed the need for exploring alternative dispute resolution measures in conflict zones, especially by governments in affected states.
She highlighted advantages of alternative conflict resolution to include; avoiding lengthy court process, uniting belligerent parties, saving lives, ensuring growth and development through peace and crisis management in the society.
The peace advocate commended Zamfara and Katsina Governments for enacting laws and establishing alternative dispute resolution and mediation centres, saying the efforts of the two administrations in the North-West geopolitical zone would go a long way in ensuring sustainable peace, climate change resilience and above all, assist in fighting insecurity at the grassroots.
In his remarks, Programme Manager, International Alert Nigeria, Sunday Jimoh harped on the imperative of initiating conflict sensitive policies and strengthening state institutions saddled with responsibilies of dispensing justice by building their skills and capacities of discharging their duties effectively.
He maintained that no expense was too much in ensuring a peaceful society for the thriving of development, business and human coexistence in a multicultural setting.
Zamfara State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, represented by Permanent Secretary in the ministry Musa Garba said no better option than an alternative way of resolving dispute, adding that machineries of the state had been deployed in ensuring early warning for conflicts prevention and management.
Also speaking, Director Citizens’ Rights and Head Mediation Centre, Katsina State Ministry of Justice Abdur-Rahman Buhari, while commending Governor Radda for assenting to bill for establishing an alternative dispute resolution centre, described the development as positive.
He said the centres spread across six zones in state would handle conflict and communal frictions with the aim of finding alternative means of resolving issues before escalation.
