Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
…Calls For Vigilance, Information Sharing
By Our Correspondent
A Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with its headquarters in Rivers State, Nigeria, Community Initiative for Enhanced Peace and Development (CIEPD) and Development Alternative Initiative (DAI) has identified early warning signs and indicators that precede and snowballed into conflicts in Akwa Ibom State.
CIEPD is implementing a series of projects that is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) code-named, “State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness” (“State2State”) earmarked for the three (3) high risk target local government areas of Itu, Oron and Uyo.
According to CIEPD findings, these indicators are peculiar to the environments and the three LGAs under review. In Uyo local government area, the following indicators/signs were identified such as 1. Influx of strange faces in the community 2. Gathering of people in groups 3. Hate speech 4. Behavioral changes 5. Restriction of movements 6. Protests/Disobedience and Lawlessness 7. Creation of private social media platforms and 8. Breakdown in communication. Others are 9. Traditional injunctions 10. Accusations and counter accusations 11. Deprivation of rights (Gender Based) 12. Molestation of natives of neighboring communities 13. Invasion of farm lands by herdsmen 14. Divisions and factions and 15. Invasion of territories.
In Itu local government area, the group said that the common indicators to watch out for are 1. Factions and divisions in the community 2. Hate speech 3. Undermining people’s right 4. Shifting of boundaries (Family and Community) Accusations and counter accusations 5. Traditional injunctions 6. Protests and 7. Illegal/spontaneous secret meetings. Others, according to CIEPD include 8. Able bodied men seen in strategic positions in the community 9. Mis/Mal/Dis-Information 10. Deprivation of rights due to gender 11. Making resources commonly used inaccessible to others 12. Use of coded languages/signs in public places 13. Young men walking in clusters with knapsacks. Wearing clothes in distinct colors (red, yellow, black, etc) and 14. Strange/expelled students visiting schools in communities uninvited.
In Oron local government area indicators include 1. Random/strange movements within the community 2. Formation of fractions/division on community 3. Strange faces in the community 4. Road blocks/illegal check points 5. Use of traditional injunctions/symbols 6. Protest/demonstration 7. Coffins (unidentified) and 8. Restriction of movements. Others are 9. Sudden relocation 10. Rumour of invasion 11. Presence of military/security personnel 12. Sudden/unplanned townhall meeting 13. Hate speech/stereotype 14. Invasion of community with strange coloured dressing 15. Use of coded languages 16. Land trespassing and 17. Selection of leaders.
Speaking to Century Newsfront, some of the residents in the state expressed happiness over the identified areas of concern by the organization, they called on all citizens and those residents in the state to be vigilant, conscious and alert given this discovery to stem the tide of security. They called on the State Ministry of Information and other relevant government agencies to sensitize public and security personnel members to rid unnecessary conflicts and breach of security in the state, especially as 2023 general elections approach.
