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  • A close look at the MORE Agenda (1) – By Paul Odili

    A close look at the MORE Agenda (1) – By Paul Odili

    By Paul Odili

    This write-up looks at the E component of the MORE Agenda.

    As a governing vision the MORE manifesto of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the PDP Governorship candidate should be taken very seriously. It offers a great deal of encompassing insight, plans, and projections of what his administration proposes to do when voted into office by Deltans next year.

    Since winning the PDP party ticket, the Delta House of Assembly Speaker, Rt Hon. Oborevwori has been full-throated about his agenda such that at the campaign trails it has become a campaign anthem of ‘I will do more, I will listen more, I will give more’ etc, a play on the word MORE! This is remarkable and for anyone who might not have had time to delve into the depth of this agenda, this series offers some high-level perspective on the More Agenda and why perhaps the PDP candidate is very enthusiastic, you might say ebullient, in making the MORE promises, knowing that he will be judged by the success or otherwise of this Agenda.

    The MORE manifesto standing for (Meaningful Development, Opportunities for all, Realistic Reforms and Enhanced peace and security) of Delta State speaks to the importance of extending, consolidating, modernizing, and improving the critical areas of the socio-economic needs of Delta State – ranging from Infrastructure, Human Capital, Environmental, Economic and Socio-cultural development of the different peoples of Delta State. A State seen as a mini-Nigeria that has also become a successful socio-political experiment on integration.

    The MORE Agenda is well put together and as a guide rail will assist anyone with an interest in tracking down the promises of the incoming PDP administration when elected into office. In the first part of what will be a series of interventions dissecting the MORE Agenda, we start by looking at the E component (Enhanced Peace and Security) of Delta State of this plan.

    In constructing this document and the vision behind it Rt. Hon. Oborevwori was acutely aware of the importance of peace and security as a critical component of what keeps a society stable and functional and which greatly aids development. In other words, Peace and Security is a foundational responsibility of any successful government, whose programmes and vision succeeds or fails depending on how it is defined, handled, and implemented. The MORE plan on Peace and Security enunciates the following points: “Peace and security create the right atmosphere for social and economic life. The rest development agenda cannot materialise without the deliberate and sustained prevalence of peace and security. Therefore, I will deploy all necessary resources, energies, collaboration, partnership, stakeholder engagement, consultation and dialogue.”

    In other words, no effort and resources will be spared to build on the existing peace and security of Delta State. The MORE Agenda went further to highlight six key pillars of the Peace and Security programme for the State. It speaks of building “ mechanisms for early warning signals, conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and conflict control; sustained engagement with critical stakeholders such as traditional rulers, community leaders, youths, women groups, etc to maintain peace and resolve controls; create platforms for cultural exchanges between communities; establish and maintain channels for policy and programmes feedback from the grassroots and stakeholders; engage youths in productive and gainful employment to mitigate youth restiveness and criminality; collaborate with all security agencies in the maintenance of law and order”

    Without a doubt, the security component of the MORE Agenda should be seen as one Rt. Hon. Oborevwori has had a practical hands-on and tangential experience and which he has excelled in over the years. He was at various times Special Adviser to the Governor of Delta State on Land Security (2007-2010); State Coordinator for the Amnesty Programme (2009-2010); Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Governor (2012-2014). His resume underscores his experience which assures that the security and stability of Delta State will not be in jeopardy under his administration.

     

    Paul Odili is a member of Delta State PDP Campaign Council

  • More chibok girls will regain freedom -FG assures

    More chibok girls will regain freedom -FG assures

    The Federal Government on Monday assured Nigerians that everything was being done to ensure that other Chibok School girls abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists regain their freedom.

    The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, disclosed this in his address to the UN Security Council’s open debate on “Women and peace and security: Sexual violence in conflict” in New York.

    Enikanolaiye explained that after their freedom, the Federal Government would also ensure that the girls were freed from the ideological grips of the terrorist group.

    “We seize this opportunity to assure you that following the recent release of 82 of the abducted Chibok school girls,

    government has intensified its efforts at securing the release of the abducted girls and the remaining ones, including freeing them from the ideological grips of Boko Haram terrorists.

    “Having regained their freedom, it is equally important that they regain

    their self-esteem and be assisted to return to their families and back to their schools.

    “Furthermore, emergency teams of psycho-social counsellors and health professionals have been dispatched

    to the north east to assist with the profiling of victims for appropriate therapies,” he said.

    According to him, Nigeria has carefully and favourably considered joining the existing 108 countries to sign up to the Paris Principle and Commitment on the protection of children in armed conflicts.

    The Permanent Secretary pointed out Nigeria’s active participation at the international Ministerial Conference marking the 101h Anniversary of the Paris process held in February.

    “It is our conviction that this step will help to strengthen Nigeria’s commitment to global frameworks in further preventing the recruitment and use of girl-children as child or female bombers by Boko Haram.’’

    According to him, Nigeria recommit to ensuring that women and girls enjoy full rights and that those who have perpetrated sexual violence are dealt with in accordance with our national laws and international obligations.

    “In addition, the Government of Nigeria has put in motion legal remedies for victims of Boko Haram terrorism in the form of rape and other sexual violence against children, abduction of children and other grave violations.

    “Other remedies of legal and social nature taken so far by the Federal Government include diligent prosecution of 203 detained Boko Haram terrorists in competent courts of law.

    “As well as the reintegration, reorientation and rehabilitation programmes designed to meet the peculiarities of each victim of sexual violence.”

    To achieve an enduring result in the search for workable solutions to the challenges of sexual violence in conflict, he said priority must be accorded to addressing the enabling environment and underlying root-causes of conflicts.

    This he noted includes, poverty, hunger, human rights abuses, injustice, unemployment, corruption, lack of inclusiveness and impunity.

    The envoy also stressed that perpetrators must be held accountable, but the capacity of State to do so with the prevalence of weak structures and

    institutions needs to be addressed.

    “Mr President, this open debate bears great relevance to the terrorist activities of Boko Haram in the North East region of Nigeria, which have led to huge displacement of about two million people and conflict related violence against women and girls that have been widely condemned.

    “Nigeria has always acted concertedly to ensure accountability for sexual violence, we have also collaborated with the UN and other international partners to improve service delivery and enhance protection measures both in communities and areas where women and girls seek refuge.

    These efforts by the Government of Nigeria are in the context of the great strides made by our military in degrading Boko Haram,” he said.

    In spite of the daunting challenges, Nigeria has always been in the vanguard of promoting the involvement of women in conflict resolution, as well as in the promotion of peace and security.

    He pointed out that just last week, Nigeria launched the revised National Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and Related Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security.

    “We have also taken measures to enhance the security of women and girls in the camps for the Internally Displaced Persons to reduce their vulnerability and promote their safe return to their homes and reintegration into the society.

    “As part of efforts to counter violent extremism, Nigeria is taking steps to de-radicalise convicted terrorists through the development of a range of expert psychologies and counsellors.’’

    According to him, this is to pioneer rehabilitation efforts as well as utilising Islamic scholars to counter extremist narratives by training them on aspects of dialogues and religious counselling.

    “We are also working assiduously with the affected communities to design economic revitalisation programmes targeted at people most affected by

    terrorism and violent extremism,” Enikanolaiye said.