A Zamfara-based Civil Society Organization, Voluntary Aid Initiative (VAI) has conducted dialogue meetings with security agencies and other stakeholders on access to justice, peace and accountability.
In a statement issued in Gusau by the Project Officer of the VAI, Mr. Buhari Ya’u Moriki said the dialogue was held in Birnin-Magaji and Tsafe Communities.
The activity was themed: “Community Engagement with Security Agencies on Security Priorities Issues and Building Partnership to Ensure Effective Oversight and Accountability”.
The event was organized with support from the International Alert, a NGO under a project, “Promoting Stability, Access to Justice and Accountability in the North West region of the country.
Moriki explained that the dialogue was attended by representatives of security agencies, traditional rulers, religious and community leaders and other major stakeholders from four communities of Tsafe, Birnin-Magaji, Nasarawa-Godel and Bilbis.
“The participants expressed readiness to continue partnering with security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to promote access to justice in their respective areas.
“Other participants were drowned from security agencies, traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), youths and women from the four communities”, he explained.
Moriki noted that the dialogue discussed extensively how to strengthen partnership between security agencies and other stakeholders in promoting accountability, access to justice to ensure active oversight and accountability at community level.
“The dialogue engaged major security stakeholders on how to promote access to justice, the participants discussed extensively on modalities of promoting peace and stability in the society”, he added.
In their separate remarks, the District Head of Nasarawar-Godel, Alhaji Nura Dan’ali and District Head of Tsafe, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu commended the VAI and International Alert for implementing a project to ensure justice and accountability.
Dan’ali urged participants to sustain the ideas and knowledge learned from the dialogue and ensure sustainability of security priorities in their respective communities.
“Aliyu said “as traditional leaders and custodians of people, we must encourage accountability, access to justice in order to sustain peace and stability in our communities”.
