Trauma prevention has been identified as an integral if not one of the most important part of conflict prevention and security management system.
This was made known by the Director General, Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Major General Johnny Hamakim during a five-day Trauma Awareness and Resilience Training programme held in conjunction with the Peace Building Development Foundation (PBDF), at Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja.
Gen Hamakim said “Nigerians have carried wounds from the first coup in 1966, the Nigerian-Biafra civil war, various ethno-religious violent conflicts, political exclusion, corruption and lack of accountability”.
He added that women and children are continuously being targeted by non-state armed groups in conflict situations, many of which are equally faced with great risk of physical and sexual violence during displacement. He also said that some are killed or injured by physical violence, gunfire and landmines while others are deprived of their basic needs.
However, he upheld that this exploitation continues to be a feature of virtually all recent armed conflict which invariably impact negatively in the emergence of further insecurity and violent conflict in the country.
AIG Ahmadu presenting certificate to Mrs Njeze of the NSCDC
Thus, this programme aimed at trauma impacted individuals, communities and people whose work brings them in contact with population dealing with current or historic trauma such as the military, paramilitary mental health among others.
This underscores the need to understand the trauma’s impact on human body, brain and behaviours of individuals and group, knowing the process of preventing cycles of violence and building resilience at personal, community and societal level as well as bringing trauma informed perspective to personal and professional lives of the victims.
The training brought together trauma specialists from many disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, religion, emergency medicine, general surgery, conflict resolution, human security, neurosurgery, anaesthesiology and psychiatry.
The high point of the event was the presentation of certificates to the participants at the end of the seminar.
By Cpl Augustine Nwoba
