As Search for Common Ground, an International Non Governmental Organizations (SEARCH) sets to wind up in the Niger Delta, it has revealed that through its peaceful intervention in the region, illegal oil bunkering has reduced giving way for improved crude oil returns for Nigeria.
Making the revelation in Port Harcourt Rivers State, Sunny Dada, the Mass Media and Information Management Coordinator of SEARCH, said the group was able to achieve that because it located communities that into illegal oil bunkering.
He also applauded the effort of security agencies who he said contributed to the success story. Dada spoke at the end of SEARCH’s on three days of refresher training for about 30 journalists.
He said, “One of the success stories we can attest to is the reduction in oil bunkering. A lot of persons are celebrating the reduction but many people are not aware of the behind the scene effort that entities like Search for Common Ground is making and part of the reason for the reduction is because when we moved into the 66 communities, we ensured that we picked communities that were heavily impacted by illegal oil bunkering.
“So we deliberately looked for the key actors and brought them on board and integrated them as members of community peace architecture. Today, some of them are the champions we have in the communities campaigning against the dangers of illegal oil bunkering.
“When there is oil bunkering activity going on in a particular location, the moment it is dropped on that platform, you see the relevant security agencies quickly running with that and in our state peace architecture meetings, you see them telling us interventions they have done in responding to the oil bunkering challenges.”
On communities impacted by Search, Dada said, “We have communities like Okochiri Community in Okrika Local Government Area, Ogulaghah in Delta State, Opuama in Warri North Local Government Area, Kongor, Akakumamah in Nembe Local Goemnet Area and several other communities where we have this success stories.
“In Bundu Community in Port Harcourt City Local Government, the leaders invited Search for Common Ground to come to the community and when we arrived, they told us that crimes and criminality have reduced because of what SEARCH is doing and they decided to institutionalize our community peace architecture as a rapid conflict response committee.
“We trained some media literacy cohorts and they are the drivers of the online campaign. Prior to their training, they never had that training. These are cut across communities. They are a major success story.
Also speaking, Temisan Etietsola,
National Media and Digital Peace Building Specialist at Search for Common Ground, admitted that the three days training was productive adding that the participation of the trainees was very active.
He disclosed that SEARCH has been able to engage journalists to see how they have been able to transfer the knowledge they gained into their work and how to communicate the message of development to communities.
He said, “At the end of the day, it is not about us. It is about transforming criminality and violence in the Niger Delta. There were some challenges because transforming conflicts in itself is tough. But we are particularly glad with the stakeholders that we worked with from the communities.
“They welcomed us and introduced us to members of the community and we achieved some level of progress through dialogues and advocacy all in a bid to transform violence and criminality in the Niger Delta.
“We have been able to work with youth leaders because we know how valuable and influential they can be when it comes to issues of violence and criminality.”
Folashade Seye Ojo, Mass Media and Information Management Officer on the project in her reaction maintained that one of the messages that back up behavioral change is psychological analysis.
With this, she said journalists in the region should not say that some number of persons have died “but they should let the people know why they should shun criminality and violence. Let them know that if they shun criminality, there are gains.
“Journalists should be doing more of informing and educating the public by telling the good side and embracing positivity. We can achieve this by using appropriate messages and call to action and we can achieve this in the region.”
Elizabeth Aduku a participant said the past three days were actually refreshing for her.
She said, “Everything that was thought is something that we have been taught before but one thing that stood out is the introduction of PIA. That session talks about the challenges the host communities are having and that particular session for me is an eye opener because it will help me to tailor some of my stories appropriately.”
Chidiebere Ndukwe of Trend FM in his response said, “Before I joined the search training, there were some things we were doing wrong at the office but that training helped me to understand better the concept of behavioral message.
“We had this message we were using for years but coming to this training has made me to know what we have been doing wrongly with that message and then thought us the need to review some of these messages, rejig and get fed back.
SEARCH has been in the Niger Delta since 18 months using the approach it called Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta involving 66 communities and it is billed to end in the next four months.
The project is being sponsored by the European Union executived by Search for Common Ground in partnership with Stakeholders Democracy Network, Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta and Academic Associates Peace Works.
