The Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Peace Building and Conflict Resolutions, Chief Edwin Uzor has said that the best global approaches to conflict Resolutions is the act of truthfulness, and fear of God while resolving crises in the Society at a given point or time.
Chief Edwin Uzor disclosed this to our reporter at the weekend in his office at Asaba, Delta State Capital while fielding questions from some group of Journalists on his achievements so far since his appointment in the office, inception of Governor Okowa’s administration.
He Commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on his fatherly advice, efforts and massive support given to the office towards the maintenance of sustainable peace and security in the State which he said is in line with the Governor’s stronger Delta agenda on promotion of viable Socio-economic growth and development in the state.
Chief Edwin Uzor, the immediate past Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State chapter is indeed a peace- builder, conflict manager, an administrator per excellence and political scientist both in Profession and experience, yet his trust and confidence in God as well as his truthful dispositions towards resolving Community crises is unwavering using global best practices.
In his words: “Governor Okowa wants peace and Security in all Communities of the state. He believed that without peace development will not thrive so he is determined to make Delta peaceful just like what you are witnessing today in every part of the state”.
“Administration is number one in all Profession. Am very conversant with Community Leadership as a one time Community president in my town for a great number of years. At times Conflict will erupt in Communities. One group will write the Government for help. But they will tell the Government to provide for transportation and other logistics before they will come for settlement. And we usually do it because we need peace. This is because without peace there will be no development”.
The Governor’s aide stated that conflicts resolution, management is a job that must be done with passion, adding that with the help of God some major Community crises witnessed in the state were resolved amicable which included amongst others: Aladja/ Ogbe-Ijor crisis, where persons were killed and over sixty (60) houses were burnt, which bothers on land disputes, Emu /Ebedei Crises in Ndokwa West, where persons were killed which bothers on the killing of Police officer, where persons were killed and over sixty (60) houses burn other is in riverine Communities, the crises in Utchi/ Oboma and Obocha which strangers cannot pass which bothers on Sambis forest, now opened and the conflicts resolved and the people are now living in peace with one another in their various Communities.
Chief Uzor while urging individuals and groups in the state to remain peaceful then suggested some of the ways of mitigating conflicts in the Society, Communities, States, Nigeria and globally.
According to him, as a matter of urgency the under listed approaches should be embraced towards conflicts Resolution: Cultivating the fear of God, Practice of equality before God and the law, protection of fundamental human rights, obedience to procedural agreements, MOUs, avoidance of unusual quest for power, avoidance of minority domination, learning how to accommodate one another, live and let live method, leadership by example and tolerance.
Meanwhile, Chief Uzor has warned he will not tolerate acts by any cabal to frustrate local elections or hijack the mandate of the people and stressed the need for Deltans to appreciate the efforts invested by the Okowa led administration in ensuring that peace prevailed in the state and appealed to all the aggrieved parties across the state to cease, especially the people of Afisere Community who had been at war with the state government over alleged marginalization for peaceful resolution.
