The Director-General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), retired Maj.-Gen. Garba Wahab, says adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism is essential in conflict prevention and peace building in every society.
Wahab stated this at the graduation of participants of a five-day course with the theme, “Conflict Management and Alternate Dispute Resolution” organised by the centre in collaboration with Mediation Training (MTI) on Friday, in Abuja.
He said that the course was aimed at equipping participants with requisite skills for building and sustaining relationships while promoting peace and harmonious co-existence in their respective domains.
Wahab said that alternate dispute resolution was required in the current security environment, adding that court of law should be the last option.
According to him, given the culture, background and tradition we have in this part of the world, it is always easier to resolve a case out of the court to agree as to some modalities.
“This makes it easier for us to continue to be friends.’’
He said that ADR was applicable to present satiation in the country, adding that it was part of early warning system and early resolution.
“The problem is there, you don’t allow it to fester, you solve it quickly and when the two parties are brought together to resolve the crisis, it makes it easier and that is the essence of the whole thing.
“The course objective is to imbibe effective communication skills and dynamics for resolving contemporary conflicts and disputes.
“It is to also develop participants’ mediation capacity and humour for effective conflict management and to equip participants with creative ability and optimism to manage information and conflict situation,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of MTI, Mr Segun Ogunyannwo, said that conflict was inevitable and inherent in all interdependent relationships, saying it usually reflected the vast complexity of human societies.
Ogunyannwo said there was increasing use of non-kinetic mechanism for conflict management with great and outstanding results.
He said the course had equipped participants with verbal knowledge skills and expertise that would enable them to render valuable services to organisations, families and communities.
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According to him, the training will also enable them to assists disputing parties in a sharp, confident and professional manner.
He said the course had 30 participants drawn from the military, intelligence agencies and few civilians.
A participant and Course President, Mrs Josephine Kachikwu, said the course had equipped them with innovative ways to adequately mediate over conflict and disputes without having to go through litigation.
Kachikwu said that litigation was usually costly, expensive and capable of destroying relationship.
According to her, the court of law will still be there but we need to mediate to be able to maintain good relationships, good community built in harmony, building harmonious relationships and togetherness and warmth.
“That is what we have taken out from this course,” she said. (NAN)
