EU sets aside 64m Euros to support Plateau peace initiatives

Date: 02-05-2013 5:50 pm (12 years ago) | Author: Direct
- at 2-05-2013 05:50 PM (12 years ago)
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The European Union has offered a grant of 64 million Euros, an equivalent of N1 billion to assist the peace building efforts of the Plateau State government.
EU’s Human Right and Justice Project Director in Nigeria, Mrs. Modupe Omopintemi, who stated this on Thursday at the formal inauguration of the training programme of peace practitioners in Jos, said that the grant is to help in training peace practitioners and advocates.

She said that the union was concerned by the protracted ethno-religious crises in the  state which had claimed many lives and destroyed property worth billions of naira.
 The grant, according to Omopintemi, was offered to the Plateau Peace Practitioners Network, (PPPN), a coalition of about 60 non-governmental organisations, troubleshooting in the protracted crisis in the state.
She said that the fund would facilitate training of peace practitioners on trauma healing and tackling early warning signs as well as all issues related to civil unrest in the state.
Apart from Nigeria, the EU director said that the union had also supported other countries with crisis similar to that of Plateau with a view to achieving a lasting peace.
She said,  “EU has provided more than 7million euros in funding these and related areas under its instrument for stability programmes with more projects in the pipeline. These projects have been implemented mainly in the northern, middle belt and Niger- Delta regions of the country.”
Chairman the network in the state, Mr. who spoke on behalf of other members of the network, Godwin Okoko, assured the EU representatives that the funds would be prudently untilised.
Okoko, who is the country representative of the APURIMAC, an Italian Christian organisation, said selected faith -basedorganisations were among the PPPN members, youth and opinion leaders to benefit from the training programme.
He said the training, which will be for a period of 18 months, will be conducted in batches, stressing that other donors have indicated interest in funding PPPN to help resolve the crisis.
Director of Research and Documentation to the Plateau State Governor, Mr. Chris Kwaja, said the state government will always be in support of programmes aimed at finding lasting solutions to the unrest in the state.

Posted: at 2-05-2013 05:50 PM (12 years ago) | Hero

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