ACEIDEV commences statewide sensitisation on peaceful electoral conduct in Nasarawa

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), African Centre for Entrepreneurship and Information Development (ACEIDEV), has commenced a statewide sensitisation workshop to residents of Nasarawa state on peaceful conduct before, during and after election in the state.

Speaking at the occasion held in Akwanga local government area of the state on Thursday, the Executive Director, ACEIDEV, Mr James Ugochukwu, said the workshop was a road map campaign towards changing the narratives of elections in the state and Nigeria at large.

According to him, the purpose of the sensitisation workshop tagged ‘Mitigating and Curbing Election Violence’ across the state is to enrich and motivate residents to remain resolutely peaceful even when faced with tempting provocation before, during and after the general elections in the state.

He explained that the workshop was a national campaign put up by his organisation with support from Nigerian Civil Society organization Situation Room which has the conglomeration of 70 Civil Society organizations to ensure a peaceful 2019 general elections across Nigeria.

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Ugochukwu however, explained that because the NGO cannot reach every community across the state, its primary targets were traditional rulers, community-based organisations, faith-based institutions, youth groups, leaders of associations, mainstream and new media influencers of each local government.

He said the NGO will sensitize and work closely with the selected group who in turn would be actively involved to reach out to rural communities to enlighten them on the enormous impact of their actions as well as contribute their own quota to societal development through peaceful elections.

He said that the group had a better understanding of the mindset of the people in the communities where they are based and knows how best to communicate with them hence their selection and sensitization with the view that they will step down the message of peace before, during and after elections to the people.

“Certain events are portraying this beautiful state in a bad light, that the 2019 elections might witness violence. Just recently, Nasarawa state was named among the flash point states during the polls. So, we have decided to reach out to these group of persons, understanding their roles in influencing people and society.

“Elections in Nasarawa State should not be a do-or-die affair, but an opportunity for the electorates to express their civic responsibility through the ballot box peacefully and peace should be the order of the day even after winners and losers have been announced.

“So some of the issues among others that looked into are Hate speech and fake news because they have become a major threat to the 2019 elections. These issues easily spark violence.

“That is why we want sensitize you all on how to manage them without resulting to violence and disrupting the peaceful conduct of the elections in the state,” he said.

Ugochukwu who revealed that the NGO has been carrying out interventions since 2011 said the sensitization will be done in other local governments across the state engage the selected stakeholders who in turn are expected to enlighten the communities they are domiciled in on the importance of peaceful conduct in election periods.

In his goodwill message, the Chun Mada of Mada land, Mr Samson Gamu-Yare who commended ACEIDEV for the initiative described it as timely and called on all hands to be on deck and work towards actualising violence-free 2019 elections across the country.

He added that he daily uses his stool as a traditional ruler to canvass for peaceful coexistence and harmonious living, irrespective of sociocultural, religious or political differences.

The one-day workshop attracted some selected community-based Non-Governmental Organisations based in Nasarawa North, traditional rulers from the zone among whom are the Chun Mada, faith-based institutions, youth groups, mainstream and new media influencers in Nasarawa State.

The resource persons at the programme spoke on different themes which includes “The expectations from citizens in ensuring a violence-free 2019 general elections by Mr Akolo Akpu of Gabi Esther Foundation. “mitigating and curbing election violence” by Engr Mrs Loise Gyunka, President of Gyunka New Hope Foundation and “Community actions in curbing election violence, effects of social media and how to resist fake news by Mr Eche Amos, a media personality.