Gombe crisis: Reconciliation Committee donates relief materials to communities

 The Ten-Man Committee set up to bring peace to the Lundguda and Waja tribes in Nyuwar in Gombe state, North-East Nigeria, has donated relief materials to the community, in its efforts to achieve a lasting peace between the two tribal communities.

The items donated are 80 bags of Maize, 80 bags of Rice, 80 gallons of cooking oil, 10 cartons of sugar, 10 cartons of seasoning, 10 cartons of salt, 10 cartons of detergents, and 10 packets of sanitary pads.

Recalled that the committee was set up by the People Oriental Development of ECWA Church to bring about an end to the recurring attacks and counter-attacks between the Lunguda and Waja communities living in Jessu and Nyuwar, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The visit to Nyuwar was led by the Committee Chairman Mr. Abdullah Kulani, former Gombe State Deputy Governor, Mr. John Lazarus Yoriyo, Former Chief Judge of Gombe State Justice Hakila Y. Heman, and the Secretary, Dr. Charles Zaire Sabe, among others.

Mr. Kulani said they were in Nyuwar to console and thank both communities, who had in recent times pledged their strong commitment to stop hostilities and embrace Peace.

Meanwhile, the Director, People Oriental Development of ECWA,  Reverend Ephraim Yoms, on behalf of the ECWA Church, console the community, over the persistent attacks and thanked the District Head, the Committee, and the entire Community for embracing Peace.

Reverend Yoms said Peace was a necessary process not to be wished for, but to take concrete steps to achieve it.

“Peace is a driving force of progress and prosperity. It is not achieved through Military or Government forces, but through dialogue,” said Reverend Yoms.

He encouraged the Waja and Lunguda Communities to reach out for real peace, by educating the youths to live peacefully with one another, since the future belonged to them, while calling on the two communities to exchange their hate for Love and their Conflicts for Peace to attract development.

The District Head of Nyuwar, His Highness, Mr. Pisagih appreciated the efforts and commitment of the People Oriented Development programme of ECWA to ensure the restoration of peace in the communities.

Mr. Pisagih also appreciated the High Respected Committee and the Security Organs for their commitment to seeing that peace is achieved in Nyuwar and Jessu Districts, while also calling for the peace being enjoyed to be sustained.

Former Deputy Governor Yoriyo appealed to the Gombe State Government to constitute a Committee of Enquiry to measure the level of destruction caused in the communities in order to assist those affected by the crisis and encouraged the Waja and Lunguda Communities to sustain the peace they had now embraced to ensure that it lasted.

In their separate comments, the heads of the various security organs, the Police, Army, DSS, and Civil Defense appreciated People Oriented Development and the Community for embracing Peace, which had been making their work easy ever since the two communities expressed a strong commitment to stopping hostilities.

They also called on the communities, especially their Youths to be law abiding and to ensure the sustenance of the peace they had embraced.

The Secretary of the Committee, Dr. Charles Zaure Sabe appreciated People Oriented Development for the series of meetings and seminars held for peace to return to the Community.

He also thanked the Government of Gombe State and all who contributed to the actualization of the peace process.