2023 Election: A'Ibom govt, USAID S2S activities lists modalities to curb, mitigates conflicts.

 By Freshgist

The State2state Team Lead (STL), Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Borve Paago-Imabel, presenting his welcome address

Ahead of the 2023 general election, The Akwa Ibom state government in partnership with United States Agency for International Development ( USAID)- State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness, (State2State) Activity have recently listed some modalities on how to prevent and mitigeate conflicts.

 During  a 2 Day quarterly dialogue on conflict prevention and mitigation, Rosemohr hotel, Uyo, the State capital, the State2state Team Lead (STL) Mr. Borve Paago-Imabel in his opening remark disclosed that  while working to increase responsiveness of citizen priorities, S2S activities also have the mandate to improve stakeholders capacity to manage societal conflict through prevention, mitigation and reconciliation.

He posited that the aim of  the dialogue was designed to facilitate inclusive and responsive multi-stakeholder analysis of identified hot spots of electoral violence in Akwa Ibom state, and identify likely impact of electoral violence on political and socio-economic peace and stability.

Paago-Imabel said its partnership with the stakeholders was to design an electoral violence prevention strategy including action plan to prevent and mitigate the impact of electoral violence in the state and follow up action plans.

Director of Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Very Fr. John O. Ebebe during his paper presentation.

In his keynote address, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong lauded USAID, State2State Activity  for what he described as a timely response dialogue against the 2023 general election.

Ememobong who was represented by a Director of his Ministry, Mrs. Grace Akpan, advocated for the use of emotional intelligence, the principle of the 4-way test, in addition to creating an Early Warning System (EWS) during electioneering.

According to him, “This EWS can either be an independent agency or a unit in INEC, which monitors the political space and identifies triggers of conflict and issues public warnings to and sanctions against the culprits. This will serve as a discalation technique that prevents full blown conflict. This agency or unit must be manned by people of impeccable character who are knowledgeable in conflict dynamics.”

He added that general elections must be taken very seriously, since every other development within a democracy is rooted in elections. 

In his words, “When democracy shakes, no sectoral foundation can be stable- which is why political scientists postulate that the worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship. 

“The ballot is the source of authority of our elected officials and therefore must be undertaken without fear and coercion. Pre and post election conflict must be consciously prevented by everyone concerned with the entire process. The players must adopt FairPlay as a principle while the umpire must make transparency their foundation, navies conflict in election sprouts when there is a suspicion of unfair play-field or attempts at rigging.

Ememobong also disclosed the use of Rotary four way-test as modality to a good communication strategy to prevent and mitigate conflict during campaigns for general elections.

He urged politicians to be more carefully with their utterances, avoiding in total the use of hate- speeches

"Conflict can be avoided if we apply the communication techniques  to our realities, eg, if politicians during their campaigns use their anger to scold as a yard stick to measure provocative speeches, they will be more carefully with their utterances , that if what they intended to say about another candidate was said to them, they will be anger enough to react. If they also use the Rotory four wheel test to asked themselves questions like; "what I'm about to say, Is it the truth?, is it fair to all?, will it build goodwill and better friendship to all? Will it be beneficial to all concern?

"Then their communication will not be based on personal attacks, I have chosen to dwell on communications because of it's numerous ability to cause conflagration  in unimaginable proportion and can also be  used resolve conflicts.

"So if we get our communication right, then conflicts will be prevented.

"Let me thank USAID, S2S activities for organizing this event at this critical time, I must say that this dialogue is timely.

In his speech,  the Head of Operations, Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Vincent commended State2State for the dialogue noting that outcome of the dialogue will enhance their work.

He added “Election violence is peculiar to democracy even in advanced societies. However, the more we practice democracy, the better we are. What causes electoral violence is that our politicians have not found their root of convergence which is public interest.

” We are glad that there is a new sheriff in town, Biometric Voter Accreditation System ( BVAS). It makes the polling unit the centre of the universe. Power has returned to the street and politicians have been handicapped.

The event also had a presentation from the Director of Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Very Fr. John O. Ebebe on “Contextual Understanding of the Conflict Environment. (Inclusive Multi-Stakeholder Identification and Mapping of Electoral Violence Hot Spots)

Other dignitaries who graced the events were officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), youth leaders, Persons Living with disability, Religious leaders, Government officials, Civil Society Organisations, the Media among other stakeholders put heads together to fashion out possible cause of election conflicts in Akwa Ibom State and how to prevent or mitigate it.