GONGOLA PEOPLES FORUM CONDEMNS LAMURDE COMMUNAL CLASHES- WARNS, VIOLENCE ONLY PUSHES PEOPLE FURTHER FROM PEACE-
Gongola People’s Forum GPF, has condemned in strong terms, the communal clashes in some communities in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa, where lives were lost and communities burnt.
GPF at a press briefing at the Manna Plaza in Jimeta-Yola on Wednesday, emphasized that violence only pulls people and communities farther from Peace, calling for restraint from the communities.
The first Vice Chairman of the GPF, Elder Maliki Daniel, led the briefing.
Chief Correspondent Ephraim Okpanachi fills us in.
Just over a week ago, disagreements over farmlands, snowballed into full scale communal clashes between Chobbo of Waduku and Bachama Communities of Rugange both of Lamurde Local Government Area.
Several lives were lost, some still missing, while scores of houses were totally or partially razed, forcing the imposition of a 24 hour curfew on the Local government, by the Adamawa Government, which has now relaxed the curfew, to between 5pm and 6am daily.
The Gongola people’s forum first vice Chairman, Elder Maliki Daniel, delivered the GPF’s strong position, condemning the atrocity and calling for dialogue.
“Our stand as GPF on the incident is very clear, we do not condone violence in any form as a solution to settling disputes amongst our people,
As a body which canvasses visibility for ethnic nationalities, GPF, sends a strong message to warring communities, to stop fighting each other and sustain the peace being enjoyed in the State, under Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s Government.
Enmity cannot give us the much sought for victory we are pursuing, so our message to our people is simple: stop wars against each other”.
Also contributing, the GPF Secretary, Barrister Leonard Nzadon, stressed that the happenings were unfathomable.
“There’s been a call for the establishment of a commission of inquiry, judicial or administrative, but whether this is done or not, the GPF itself has a conflict resolution mechanism, to ensure that conflicts like this, conflicts over land, over resources are nipped in the bud.”
GPF Stakeholder, Chief Medan FWA MNI, says it is time for peace building, following the fractured relationship amongst brothers.
“After any conflict what remains is the peace building and peace building has many and diverse ways of approach”.
The Gongola People’s Forum massage is clear, violence takes you further from peace.