World Bank Trains Borno Indigenes on Alternative Dispute Resolution

The World Bank is assisting in healing the wounds of decades, caused by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State with the training of people from the most affected areas of the state in mediation and alternative dispute resolution.

To this end, the international organisation has commenced training of 515 people selected cutting across many interests, from eleven local government areas of the state including; Dikwa, Maiduguri, Chibok, Gwoza, Jere, Kala-Balge, Damboa, Ngala, Monguno, Bama and Mobbar.

The programme which is sponsored by the World Bank is in conjunction with Nigeria Multi-Sectoral Crises Recovery Project (MCRP), Borno. It has as facilitators distinguished lecturers including; Dr. Ibrahim Umara, Dr. Mohammed Abba, Dr. Amina Ramat, Dr. Mala Mustapha and Dr. Yagana Imam.

The Speaker of Borno State House of Assembly, Alhaji Abdulkarim Lawan, who opened the training workshop on Thursday, commended the Borno State Multi-sectoral Crisis Recovery Project (MCRP) for training stakeholders of communities directly affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, and the World Bank for its sponsorship.

He said the training is not only important but critical as relocation of people back home has commenced in earnest.

He stated that as people return back to their homelands, a lot of issues will arise occasioned by the insurgency and if they are not properly addressed such issues might trigger another inter or intra communal crisis.

According to him, this makes it inevitable for trainings on dispute mediation and alternative dispute resolution to be put in place to ensure peace, stability and social cohesion among the returnees in addition to averting preventable deaths, injury and loss of property.

He noted that peace is a prerequisite for socio-political and economic development, advising that other communities in the remaining local government areas of the state not presently covered would be considered during subsequent trainings.

Earlier, the Technical and Programme Manager of the Borno State Multi-Sectoral Crisis Recovery Project, Zanna Abdulkarim, traced the historical background of such trainings to 2015 when the state started recording relative peace in some communities.

The training, he said is among major objectives of the project, whose focus is centered towards ensuring peaceful coexistence and total recovery among members of the insurgency affected communities.

While urging the participants to listen attentively to resource persons, the programme manager also said as Ambassador of peace and ministers in the temple of Justice, they are expected to explore and implore all avenues that will ensure harmonious and mutually beneficial coexistence among the people.

The MCRP and the World Bank, he said accord topmost priority to the issue of grievance redress, hence the need for all participants to use the grievance redress telephone lines given to them effectively in the interest of their respective communities.

On his part, the Chief facilitator, Dr. Ibrahim Umara of the University of Maiduguri who spoke at the closing of the workshop on Sunday said, a total of 515 selected across eleven local government areas of the state took part in the three-day training.

After the training, he said, the participants being major stakeholders in their respective communities are expected to serve as agents of resolving issues and crisis from effects of the insurgency.