PIND, CEPEJ Sensitise Riverine Communities on Flood, Conflict Management in Delta

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) has embarked on a two-day sensitisation on flood control and conflict management for leaders of riverine communities in three local government areas of Delta State.

The training, which was sponsored by Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) through Warri MultiStakeholders Platform (MSP) and implemented by CEPEJ, attracted participants from Warri North, Warri South and Warri South West Local Government Areas of the state.

Addressing participants yesterday, the National Coordinator of CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, said the theme of the training: ‘Peace Building and Flood Intervention Programme in Warri Communities: Establishment/Inauguration and Capacity Building of Flood Management and Peace Building’, was aimed at preparing community leaders for the task ahead since flooding and crisis has become part of the people of the region.

He recalled the devastating flood recorded in 2012, 2018 and 2021 in some parts on Niger Delta which displaced several people and destroyed sources of living in the region noting that the workshop aimed to prevent a repeat with sensitisation on flood and conflict management.

Mulade noted that PIND, being a core partner of CEPEJ, sponsored the workshop to reach out to leadership of the host communities, who were hearing the brunt of flood related issues and conflicts, and prepare them for disaster management.

He said the participants were carefully selected for the training, which they will in turn transmit the knowledge acquired to members of their various communities.

A Senior Programme Manager of CEPEJ, Ideh Samuel, said the participants were trained in areas of Peace Building, Conflict Management, Disaster Management, Flood Prevention, Smart Agriculture, Livestock Recovery during the two-day workshop held at the CEPEJ headquarters at Ugolo.

Two of the participants, Victor Akemotubo, president of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri kingdom Youth Council, and Secretary of NAIFOH community in Warri South West LGA, Ebikeme Sawacha, commended PIND, CEPEJ and MultiStakeholders Platform for organising the training.

Also, the Youth Chairman of Jakpa community, Ebido Omagbemi Loretta Agbeyegbe, from Ekurede Itsekiri community said they learnt a lot from the training, promising to impact knowledge acquired for the betterment of their respective communities.