The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) muted a proposal for Peace and Conflicts Management bill with the Nasarawa State Government.
The bill if considered is expected to address the myraids of security challenges confronting the state.
The State Coordinator of the UNDP, Okafor Christian stated this during an advocacy visit to the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Abdulkarim Abubakar Kana in his office in Lafia.
The UNDP peace mission team who were led by the Special adviser to Governor Abdullahi Sule on NGOs and development partners, Munira Abdullahi, expressed the optimism that the proposed bill will help to track any possible security breach.
According to the UNDP, if the bill comes into being, with an agency, it would provide policy support, coordinate stakeholders in conflicts management and will mobilize resources to support the peace building initiative of the state government.
“We have come here to advocate for the law to be expedited and be look into by the state assembly. We made some contacts to the key stakeholders in the state and everybody is happy that it is long overdue”
Christian expressed the optimism that, the establishment of the peace building agency would not only ensure peace in the state but would create jobs, provide enabling environment for businesses and would attract investments to Nasarawa State.
The state UNDP Coordinator who recounted the several interventions of UNDP, said other joint UN peace initiative are being implemented in Taraba, Benue and Nasarawa assuring that, they have some resources to be committed in the project to support the State, if the draft bill come to light.
He listed livelihood, conflicts assessment and mapping, peace infrastructure, early warning and early response systems as some of the components that would facilitate their operations in conflicts monitoring across Nasarawa State and beyond.
He said, aside from the manpower drawn from different security systems, UNDP have provided facilities to be handled by people trained in that direction to raise alarm and to report early signs of conflicts
He added, should the peace building law see the light of day, it would not only institutionalize the system, it will bring everyone on board, strengthen the capacity of the people and the whole system for effectiveness and efficiency.
“So, it is important to put the house in order and that is why we are here and UNDP and other UN stakeholders are putting enough resources and efforts to ensure that, what Benue and Taraba sates are getting, Nasarawa State will get the same thing”.
He however maintained that the proximity of Nasarawa Toto, the FCT, with strategic resource diversification, it was important to have peace building structures to enable the state deal with other aspects of developments.
Christian urged the state government to galvanize the opportunity available to them for the good of the state and benefit of the people, adding that, UNDP got some support, funds and consultants that would assist the state achieve it peace building initiative.
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