CISLAC trains stakeholders on Community based Early warning, Early response system

From Chinelo Kodilichukwu Enugu

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in collaboration with Open Society Foundation (OSF) has trained stakeholders on Community based early warning and early response system.

The One day training which took place at Bons Sunshine hotel, Enugu on 4th April 2024 with theme ” Community Security Architecture Dialogue on Early Warning and Early Response”, brought together Civil Society Organizations, Security Actors, Media and local Government Officials who were trained on Community based early Warning and early response system.

The Executive Director of CISLAC, Mr Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanji in his address emphasized that the Community based early warning and early response system is designed to build communication, coordination and synergy within the community and response institutions that can respond to distress signals.

Rafsanji represented by the Communication specialist Jimoh Abubakar, during the training said that Community based early warning and early response (CBEWER) will enable the community, State actors and non State actors to understand their responsibility, familiarize among themselves to respond to signals and incidents.

In his lecture on “stakeholders and their roles in community based early warning and early response system”, Freedom Onuoha, said that timely picking of the signal exposes dangers and crises ahead, while early response to crises or dangers before it occurs is very important.

He advised the Stakeholders to always report threat signals before it leads to serious incidents.

In a Communique issued at the end of the program, It noted that to achieve community based early warning and early response (CBEWER) system, that government and policy makers should provide adequate resource allocation to response institutions and well remunerated personnel to facilitate coordination and efficiency in response process.

At constituency levels, there should be fully operationalized constituency office to the early warning and early response systems, to encourage vertical information provisions on early warning and early response through bottom- top reporting of signals and timely top- bottom respond.

It recommended Consistent recruitment of qualified human resources across Defence and security sector to bridge existing gaps in early response system. Decentralization control of police force to State and community levels to ensure timely response to early warning signals and maximum accountability.

It noted that the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) needs to be more proactive rather than reactive in early warning and early response systems, through improved funding and provision of necessary infrastructures for conflict prediction, mitigation and prevention, in line with global best practices at subnational level, full operationalization of State Emergency Management Agencies.

Proactive policies must be institutionalized to integrate the peculiar needs of women in every conflict prediction and response system, structure and process for inclusive intervention.

It also noted that continued collaboration among relevant security agencies, community observers, traditional community/Religious leaders and the media must be encouraged and supported to facilitate conflict, sensitive reporting to prevent harm, loss of lives and properties and de escalate crises.

The Communique further call on Civil Society Organizations (CSO”s) to increase their advocacy in sensitizing government at all levels and increase their oversight roles on responsible agencies, so as to promote accountability and responsibility.

The Community based organizations to continue to monitor, observe and collect data that will be useful in conflict prevention and mitigations, also operates within communities and have closer relationship with Communities and their stakeholders for timely report of early warning signals to respective agencies.

The Communique further call on media as the key stakeholders to contribute to the maintenance of peace and reconciliation by reporting conflicts and crises within the context of the code of ethics based on credible, factual, balanced and objective reporting.