Security challenges: Pursuit of peace, mediation worthwhile, says Osinbajo

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the pursuit of peace and mediation in resolving some of the current security challenges in Nigeria is worthwhile and useful.

Osinbajo’s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement, said that the vice president spoke on Tuesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), at the Presidential Villa.

The vice president said that there was need for collaboration with an organisation like HD in order to address some of the problems in the country.

He acknowledged a notable feature of the centre which had been in the country since 2013–engaging and employing local people in the work of peace and mediation in their own communities and country.

“Every discussion around peace and mediation in solving some of the security challenges that we have is one that we consider of utmost importance given where we are today.

“It is important that those that mediate are home grown like yourselves; those who have an understanding of the space and have more or less grown up here, worked here. Because they understand the issues.

“I am glad to see a strong team of professionals and diplomats; people who have an understanding of our society and what the issues are.

“This will greatly help the quality of the work.”

Osinbajo said that the centre had been working with the Federal Government on the National Livestock Transformation Plan.

According to him, it is an important aspect of the Federal Government’s programme in resolving the farmer/herder clashes.

He disclosed that many states had subscribed to the NLTP and the funding would soon be made available to pilot the plan.

“Some states including Adamawa, Gombe, Plateau, and Nasarawa and the Federal Government will be working with the Dutch Government and a Dutch consortium for the pilot scheme,” he said.

Earlier, Mrs Millicent Lewis-Ojumu, head of the delegation and HD’s Country and Programme Manager, had said that HD operates at all levels from the communities to the states and national levels

She added that HD works on developing Alternative Narratives against forms of extremism in approaching mediation of conflicts.

Other members of the delegation included Mr Akin Fayomi, Alhaji Ibrahim Sale Hassan and Mrs Zigwai Ayuba.

HD is an independent diplomacy and mediation organisation with headquarters in Geneva Switzerland.

It was founded on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence working to prevent, mitigate and resolve conflicts through diplomacy, dialogue and mediation.