Worried by the growing insecurity bedevilling Nigeria, the Citizens for Peace and First Aid Mission of Nigeria (CPFA-MN) has offered to empower Nigerians to become active participants in safeguarding their communities and contributing meaningfully to national development.
The Commander General of CPFA-MN, Col Igwe Ibili Amara (rtd.), styated this at the celebration of his 2nd year anniversary in office, and a train-the-trainer capacity building workshop titled “National Insecurity and Building Country/Community Resilience: Nexus for National Security.
He said the programme is an initiative designed to equip citizens with both technical knowledge and practical skills to proactively manage insecurity and conflict situations within their communities.
“It focuses on leveraging community strengths, taking ownership of security, create their own surveillance teams, and moving from reactive to pro-active form of security management,” he stated.
According to Ibili Amara, “From insurgency in the North-East by Boko Haram and ISWAP, to armed banditry and kidnappings in various regions, to farmer–herder conflicts in the North-Central, and separatist tensions in the South-East, the nation continues to grapple with serious threats.
“Even regions once considered relatively peaceful, such as the South-West, are increasingly experiencing security concerns despite ongoing interventions.”
Colonel II Amara (rtd.) said the event, attended by the military and para-military agencies, must go beyond ceremony, stressing that, “It had to reflect the core values of our organization – service, preparedness, peacebuilding, and national responsibility”.
Under his leadership, he added, CPFA-MN has made commendable strides in establishing an emergency response centre in Akure, promoting peace and conflict resolution at the grassroots level, training citizens in first aid and emergency response, supporting community-based security awareness initiatives, and encouraging active citizenship in national development.
