THE LOCAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TEAM (LEPRT), JOS NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA (LGA) PAYS FAMILIARIZATION AND ADVOCACY VISIT TO THE CHAIRMAN JOS NORTH TRANSITION IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE

Hon. Samuel Dala Umaru

Hon. Samuel Dala Umaru, the recently appointed Chairman, Transition Implementation Committee (TIC), Jos North Local Government Area (LGA), was on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024, paid a familiarization and advocacy visit by members of the Local Emergency Preparedness and Response Team (LEPRT), Jos North LGA, in his office, located inside the LGA Secretariat, in the beautiful city of Jos, the Plateau State Capital, North Central Nigeria.

The specialized and functionally active Group, made up of members that are conversant of her mandate and area of operation, used the opportunity of the visit to advocate to the Chairman for collaboration between LEPRT in the LGA and the Jos North Local government Council. On the strength of this, the Team informed the Chairman of her proposed Peace Club Festival holding later in the year and organized annually for secondary schools in Jos North LGA.

The visit by the EPRT Jos North was led by Mrs. Ikwuta Maimuna, Secretary of the Group. She ensured the visit was used among other things to enlighten the Chairman about LEPRT Jos North and her activities in the LGA.

Speaking during the visit, Team lead Mrs. Ikwuta Maimuna, when introducing LEPRT noted that the Group is comprised of members representing different organizations that include the “National Orientation Agency, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Christian Association of Nigeria, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, National Council of Muslim Youth Organizations, Country Women’s Association of Nigeria, Center for Peace Advancement in Nigeria, Social Welfare Department, Jos North LGA and Federation of Muslim Women of Nigeria.

Mrs. Ikwuta, standing

  

“Mrs. Ikwuta noted that LEPRT is spread across the 17 LGAs in Plateau state and coordinated by Justice Development and Peace Caritas, Jos head office.

“She drew attention to the structure of EPRT that has been identified at various times by people and institutions as comparable to no other and second to none”.

On a similar note, Mr. Emmanuel Chung whom the Team Lead later on invited to speak on the activities of the Team relayed the following to educate the chairman about activities of LEPRT. He classified the activities into three categories: 

Mr. Emmanuel Chung (first from right standing)

Peace Building: According to Mr. Emmanuel Chung this covers activities in the area of Conflict Management, Conflict Transformation and Conflict Resolution, and extends to Early Warning and Early Response (EWER). Other activities in this regard are post conflict reconciliation, trauma healing which the team does or conducts at intervals, example: before, during or after crisis, not necessarily armed struggle or violent situations. He spoke specifically about Pycho-Social Support intervention and presentation of food and non-food items to victims of attack at Yelwan Zangam. He spoke about other similar operations in the past.

Political/Voter Education: - This activity according to Mr. Chung involves sensitization, awareness creation and orientation about election: electoral laws and issues thereof: role, processes and procedures, voter registration, collection of voter identification card, participation at election, conduct during and after voting, accreditation, voting, counting of votes, announcement of results and declaration of the winner, role of the voter in terms of voter card handling, why voter should not sale His/Her voter card to anyone, need for violent free elections, participatory and representative democracy: office of the citizen and active citizenship, media engagement, obedience and good governance, free and fair elections, right of others, and issues of fundamental human rights.

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)/Rehabilitation: - the Group from time to time embarks on community awareness and orientation about what Disaster is, causes of disaster: blocking of drainages with debris, building on water ways/channels, vulnerability, exposure to Risks, hazards and disaster Management, man-made and nature induced Disasters.

Like the statement credited to death that says “Whichever way I choose, Men Must Die” if after all efforts, disaster still occurs, the Group does not sit back and watch, instead participates actively in relieve operations to help alleviate the pain and suffering of Disaster victims which more often than not are of devastating effect or impact to the affected whenever preventive measures fail. 

Aware of the importance and impact of the tools of campaign, advocacy visits, meetings and the likes are to boosting awareness creation, risk communication, people and community engagement, and their benefit to realization of LEPRT mandate, LEPRT Jos North is deploying effectively these instruments in 2024 to secure massive support and collaboration of stakeholders and lovers of Peace to ensure that the proposed Peace Club Festival 2024, in Jos North LGA is a huge success, hence the visit to seek collaboration of Jos North TIC Chairman, Mr. Umaru.

Hon. Samuel Umaru (middle) and some officials of the Council in a Group Picture the LEPRT that visited him in his office 

 

The Chairman, who spoke glowingly about the LEPRT Jos North and her activities, expressed happiness for the visit and assured the team of his readiness to collaborate with all well-meaning Groups to ensure that life of people of Jos North is impacted meaningfully, during his tenure of office. He appreciated the idea of the Peace Club Festival and underscored the essence.