Plateau Conflicts: EU Donates €4.5m for Peace-building
The European Union (EU) has partnered a non-governmental organisation, APURIMAC ONLUS, and two other civil society groups to ensure a stable peace process in Plateau State.
EU Acting Head of Operation in Nigeria, Alan Munday, made this known during an official launch of EU funded project in support for peace in the state.
The programme is titled ‘European Union instrument for stability support of peace building and conflict prevention in Plateau State’.
Munday said: “The programme is EU’s contribution to the ongoing peace process in Plateau State. Plateau is already overcoming its security challenges and EU feels it is high time it provided support to government and the indigenes to consolidate on the peace achieved so far.
"We are donating 4.5 million euros to fund the peace process and we indeed want to see genuine reconciliation among communities in the state, especially the immediate communities around Jos.”
He explained that EU would not stop to do all it could to ensure that lasting peace was restored in the state.
Munday said: “The programme will be directed at solving the causes of conflicts and their consequences, including tackling poverty, job creation, income generation and capacity building.
“EU is exploiting the experience of the three civil society organisations, who have been involved in peace-building programmes.”
Other civil society groups in the partnership are Search for Common Ground (SFCG) and GIZ, a German organization committed to developing the economic capacity of the Pleatue.
Country Director of APURIMAC, Mr Godwein Okoko, while giving the action plan for the project, showed an intelligent map of area of coverage.
He expressed optimism that by the end of the project the communities would have been united together in harmony.
While appreciating EU for the partnership, Okoko also commended the state government for giving APURIMAC an enabling ground to perform credibly well in the state.
Representative of the state government and Commissioner for women Affair, Mrs Olivia Dazyem, said APURIMAC, GIZ and SFCG have empowered many lives in the state.
She pledged that the state would give the needed support for the success of the peace-building process.
“At last, the state is about to enjoy peace after 13 years of conflicts," she added.
http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/plateau-conflicts-eu-donates-%E2%82%AC45m-peace-building
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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