The Federal Government and Risk and Accident Prevention Society of Nigeria (RAPSON), a Non-Governmental Organisation have pledged synergy to address insecurity in grassroots across the country.
Both parties made the pledge on Friday in Abuja at a news briefing on a 3-day conference on “Community Violence Prevention and Human Security”
The briefing was organized by the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs (FMSDIGA), in collaboration with RAPSON.
The FMSDIGA Minister, Dr. George Akume, said that the conference slated for March 24 to March 26 in Abuja was to strategize means of addressing insecurity in rural areas across the country.
Akume said the aim of the conference was to enhance the supporting goals of community safety and human security management in Nigeria.
According to Akume, the conference will attract security experts and stakeholders to contribute positively to the fight against violent crimes which had caused unnecessary human suffering and wanton destruction of property in Nigeria and grassroots in particular.
” We recognized the need for a paradigm shift in security and safety management that emphasizes community-oriented and people-centered approach,” he said.
The minister noted that community violence prevention and human security program was needed to address the complexity and the interrelatedness of security threats.
He listed some of the threatened areas to be addressed to include poverty, human trafficking, climate change, health pandemic, terrorism and sudden economic and financial downturns among others.
Earlier, Mr. Festus Dauda, Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, FMSDIGA, expressed sadness over the prevalent security situation that had destabilized socio-economic development in the country, grassroots in particular.
According to Dauda, the conference with the theme, ” Strategising for Community Safety”, is designed to address some of the challenges.
“Today, with our present situation in this country and the challenges that this country is going through, this conference which has been designed with its theme has come at the right time, ” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Ben Koko, Chairman RAPSON, lauded the Federal Government for the strategy to combat insecurity at the grassroots level.
Koko expressed optimism that if the government collaborates with the people in the rural areas, it would go a long way to minimize insecurity in the country.
“I know we are having challenges here and there, everywhere across the country, but once government at all levels sit together to dialogue with people, I think that will begin the end of such challenges,” he said.
NAN
