NGO to empower 30 ex-cultists in Ogun

.....begins summit in Ogun on Monday

A non-profit organization, Peace Initiative Network, has disclosed its plan to empower between 30 and 40 repentant cultists in Sagamu area of Ogun State. 

The founder of the organization, Dr. Michael Sodipo, who disclosed this at a press conference held in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, to herald a two-day peace summit between Monday and Tuesday in Abeokuta, said the foundation would partner with the Ogun State Police Command to fully engage the ex-cultists to become useful members of society. 

It would be recalled that about 48 cultists renounced their membership of various secret cult groups in the Sagamu township area of the state in April. 

Sodipo said the summit was to provide local solutions to the local security problems facing the state.

He explained that stakeholders would converge to brainstorm a way out of the insecurity ravaging the state. 

The Peace Initiative Network would train the ex-cultists in vocational skills such as carpentry, vulcanizing, catering services, tailoring, and hairdressing. The move was to contribute to the reduction of social vices in society.

 Sodipo explained that the foundation was in Abeokuta to establish a project called “Creating A Safer Community” in Ogun State, 

stressing that the group would monitor and establish them in their chosen vocational skills programs.

He disclosed that the foundation, founded in 2004, used sports to preach peace in society by engaging public schools in extracurricular activities. 

While recounting the foundation’s successes in the North, Sodipo added that the Peace Initiative Network engagement with some notorious bandits has drastically reduced electoral violence in the northern part of the country. 

He disclosed that on Monday and Tuesday, April 30, there would be a summit for community leaders, religious groups, and youths at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, to discuss using local solutions to solve local problems.

He said the two-day workshop would help support insecurity and peace-building in the state. 

He said the group would also move to Sagamu and Ayetoro areas of the state for another two-day specialised workshop for young people and women on basic training in peace building, early warning, and leadership skills, which would serve as a vanguard for the group in the communities. 

Sodipo said PIN was firstly established in Kano in the year 2004 and was later brought to Abeokuta in the year 2020. 

He said the organization has expanded to Kano, Plateau, Kaduna, and Ogun States, saying that the mission of the organization centers on empowering youths and women, providing them with tools and resources for personal and professional development.

“The programme  “Peace In Our Cities” brought about Peace Initiative Network in Abeokuta in the year 2020. PiN knows that there’s a lot of cybercrime there, so they’ve been working hard to help young people feel strong and capable, giving them chances to grow and do well.

“In addition to empowerment initiatives, PiN has implemented practical solutions to address community needs, including the installation of boreholes in underserved areas like Sabo and Ilugbo in Ogun State.

Also speaking, the Project Manager of Peace Initiative Network, Ola Barnabas, said Ogun State has the highest number of cyber crime in the country.

Barnabas noted that the Southern states have ways of hiding their problems, unlike the North, which speaks out to the world and attracts all sorts of help immediately. 

He said the state has pockets of problems confronting it but pretends everything is alright.