BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria) has unveiled campaign to end violent extremism, terrorism and terrorism financing in the Northeast.
News Rider reports that the project titled: ‘Community Mobilisation against Terriorism, Terriorism Financing and Violent Extremism in the North East’ is jointly financed by Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
At a courtesy visit to Kaltungo Emirate on Thursday in Gombe State, the Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa requested for increased community sensitisation against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
He disclosed that the project was necessitated by the need to mainstream communities in conflict prediction process, while raising the consciousness of residents against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism across the Northeast.
Musa noted that the essence of the visit was to familiarise with the Emir of Kaltungo, HRH Sale Mohammed Umar and community leaders about the project, while eliciting their buy-in towards achieving the objectives.
He was optimistic that the project would also enable the community leaders and district heads to understand and cascade preventive measures against violent extremism in their respective domain.
The executive director hinted that since poor awareness at community levels hampered collective monitoring and timely response to warning signals on potential terrorists' activities and violent extremism, the security situation in the Northeast became difficult to resolve.
“Various non-state armed groups have emerged and consolidated coercive power to terrorise Nigeria, as evident in the activities of bandits, criminal gangs, separatist groups, religious fundamentalists, amorphous kidnappers, and others often referred to as unknown gunmen.
“The consequences of terrorism have continued to aggravate extreme poverty rates among Nigerians, resulting in internally displacement and devastated livelihoods, just as opportunities for broader growth, development and prosperity are destroyed, "he added.
Emir of Kaltungo, HRH Sale Mohammed Umar commended the visit and mission of the project, stating that Gombe state has remained safe for the existing level of collaboration between the community and response institutions.
He harped on the need for continued awareness and sensitisation of the community against potential danger like terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
The traditional ruler drummed support and commitment towards CISLAC/GIABA-ECOWAS mission in the state.
Umar disclosed its readiness to enhance the existing collaboration with response agencies by supporting community networks to observe and report signals to response institutions.
In a related development, the acting Coordinator of North East Development Commission (NEDC), Alhaji Rufai Lawan Babamanu assured that the commission would discourage infiltration of terrorists and terrorism financing across communities in the Northeast region.
He stated this when he received the staff of CISLAC implementing the project against terriorism, terriorism financing and violent extremism in the Northeast.
Babamanu pointed out that since the establishment of the commission, it had focused largely on needs assessment that identified areas of priority such as education, health, agriculture, livelihood and infrastructural development.
He said: “This visit is timely as the commission has a roadmap that has taken agricultural programmes and socio-economic empowerment effort to discourage violent extremism in the region.
“The commission has invested N6 billion in education development fund, meant to promote literacy and discourage all forms of radicalisation that enable violent extremism.
“The commission leverages education as counter-terrorism strategy, and preventive measure against terrorism and violent extremism."
He was hopeful that the commission in collaboration with CISLAC would record meaningful achievements especially in the areas of policy advocacy, community sensitisation against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
Babamanu revealed that the commision is open for expanded collaboration with CISLAC.
The Gombe State Commandant of NSCDC, Muhammad Bello Muazu highlighted that establishing a robust working relationship with CISLAC became paramount to galvanise its objective towards sustainable development, which could be achieved through peace, security and socio-economic stability.
He was delighted that NEDC is ready to be part of the crusade targeted at community mobilisation against major challenges confronting sustainable development in the region.
At institutional level, Muazu looked forward to enhanced working relationship with the new partnership towards achieving the underlying objectives of the project.
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