CISLAC Advocates Synergy On Early Warning Response

Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has advocated a robust collaboration among security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in Nigeria on Early Warning/Early Response (EWER) issues to avert all manner of impending disasters.

At a workshop organised by the organisation with support from Open Society Foundation Africa (OSF-Africa) for security agencies and other relevant groups in Enugu on Thursday, it noted that most times, relevant bodies do not do the needful or take issue of early warning signs very seriously.

The workshop was aimed at improving coordination, collaboration and communication among security institutions in the state in the areas of Early Warning/Early Response in Nigeria was attended by personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corpse (NSCDC), Department of State Security Service (DSS) and civil society groups.

“While early warning and conflict predictions are central concepts in conflict prevention, an effective Early warning Early Response (EWER) system must have strong connection between civil society and key stakeholders such as policymakers, to elicit positive responses.

“Conflict prevention requires careful monitoring of indicators of rising tensions and measures taken to mitigate the potential for crises to escalate.

“Early response systems are the timely and appropriate prevention initiatives, usually undertaken when violent conflict looks likely.”

At the workshop, the executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Ibrahim Musa, stated that “this can only be effective through enhanced communication, collaboration and coordination among relevant institutions towards peace-building.