The Zamfara state government inaugurated a 46-member State Early Warning, Early Response (EWER) Committee on Wednesday to promote peacebuilding and conflict resolution in the state.

The committee was established by a civil society organisation (CSO), the Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI), in partnership with the Karuna Centre for Peacebuilding as well as the NEEM Foundation.

The state commissioner for justice and attorney-general, Abdul’Aziz Sani (SAN), who officiated the inauguration, described the establishment of the committee as apt.

Mr Sani, represented by the director of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) at the state ministry of justice, Musa Shuaibu, said members of the committee were drawn from security agencies, traditional rulers, and various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

“Other members of the committee include farmers, herders, CSOs, NGOs, religious organisations, and other relevant stakeholders across the state.

“This is timely, considering the importance of peace and stability to the state and humanity in general.

“This aligns with the state government’s commitment under Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration to promote peacebuilding, community dialogue, and conflict resolution and to ensure sustainable peace and stability among communities in the state,” he said.

Mr Sani noted with satisfaction that the current administration, under Mr Lawal, was fully prepared to partner with local, national, and international NGOs to promote peace, stability, and general development of the state.

“On behalf of the state government, I would like to commend VAI, supported by the Karuna Foundation for Peacebuilding, as well as the NEEM Foundation, for their contribution to peacebuilding in the state,” he said.

The commissioner urged the committee members to work in line with the best interests of the state.

While reminding them that their selection to carry out the task was based on trust, Sani advised them to discharge their duties with the utmost level of sincerity.

Earlier, the executive director of VAI, Musa Umar, stated that the committee’s mandate was part of their project activities titled “Promoting Stability, Access to Justice, and Accountability in the North West region of the country.”

“The state EWER team will serve as a body to foster peace, stability, and conflict resolution.

“In addition to the state committee, we have established similar committees in six communities within Maru and Bungudu Local Government Areas of the state.

“We also have EWER committees, each consisting of 28 members, in both Maru and Bungudu LGAs,” Mr Umar said.

He commended the state government and other stakeholders for their support, which had led to significant success for the project in the state.

“As I speak, over 1,000 conflicts involving over 3,000 parties have been resolved through this project,” he confirmed.

(NAN)