The Special Adviser to Imo Governor on Imo Orientation Agency,Chief Dr Fidel Onyeneke has urged Political office holders at the Local Government level,to always carry all segments of the Communities along in governance and Leadership as a deliberate effort to enhance Peace and Security.
Chief Onyeneke stated this in Owerri on Friday,while delivering a lecture at a Seminar organized for the Local Government Sole Administrators and Cordinators of Development Areas in Imo state,by the State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in collaboration with Amanena Media.
In a paper titled”EFFICACY OF CONFLICT MITIGATION IN THE SOCIETY”,Chief Onyeneke said that leaders must shun all forms of marginalization and discrimination in order to carry everybody along for effective administration.
According to him,causes of Conflicts include making of unguarded utterances against members of the society,acts of Injustice,inequity,and other forms of impunity.
He regretted that Conflicts had caused psychological and physical trauma in the Communities,and the resultant effects were the threats to human lives,killings,violence,destruction of property and other infrastructural facilities.
The Special Adviser frowned that poor mitigation of Conflicts had caused great insecurity and instability in some communities,leading to certain individuals deserting there ancestral places of abode.
Chief Onyeneke also observed that conflicts had eroded the values of the people,desecrated the Culture and Traditions in some areas,while Agricultural production had been hampered.
Onyeneke urged the Leaders at the Community levels to be proactive and empathic in their actions to avoid anything that would threaten the peaceful co-existence of the masses.
He advised them to be very accommodating,and accept other people’s views while shunning unnecessary competitions as they handle issues affecting the public.
He equally admonished the Leaders to be tolerant and apply effective communication skills while dealing with the people,in order to avoid the escalation of Conflicts.
Chief Onyeneke suggested that leaders at all levels should undertake some studies in Conflict Management and Resolution through appropriate workshops,Seminars and Symposia.
He commended Governor Hope Uzodinma for making frantic efforts towards ensuring peace and security in both the rural and urban areas of the State,stressing
that enhancing peace in the Communities is the joint responsibility of all and sundry.
“It is now left for the masses to contribute their own quota in this direction by being their brothers keepers,respect the sanctity of life,and imbibe attitudinal changes that will restore the lost dignity,values and morals in our dear Imo State”Onyeneke said.
