By Danjuma Auta
A trauma counselling seminar for victims of Fulani herdsmen’s attacks across Gombe and Plateau states has been organized by the People Oriented Development(POD) of ECWA.
Declaring the seminar open, Director, POD of ECWA, Dr. Ephraim Yoms, disclosed that, they decided to organize the seminar for the three communities to transform victims and send them forth as Christ ambassadors.
According to him, the organization, which has been in existence for the past 35 years, has played major roles in enhancing agricultural revolution and conflict resolutions in communities.
According to Dr. Yoms, POD had been monitoring events in the various communities and decided to organize the three-day seminar which was made up of dialogue, Counselling, teaching, prayers and trauma healing so that the organization can make a positive impact.
According to him, for every conflict to be resolved, the circle of the conflict must be broken, otherwise, the triggers would continue to prevail that was why POD was poised at breaking the circle and the enmity for peace to be restored.
He said that the organizers hoped that the participants would have seen and testified to the goodness of God and be able to visit and interact with each other.
He called on government to be proactive regarding conflict situations and treat all tribes equally.
The director disclosed that the 10 facilitators were drawn from Adamawa, Taraba, Abia, Plateau and Bauchi states, while 60 participants, comprising women and youths from Waja and Lunguda communities in Nyuwar and Jessu districts attended the seminar.
Also speaking, Commissioner of Police, Gombe State, represented by the Area Commander, Billiri Command, AC Ibrahim Samaila, appreciated POD for organizing the event and called on the youth to be law abiding and to embrace peace.
There were goodwill messages from, the district heads of Nyuwar and Jessu His Highness Mr. James Pisagih and Maina Laban Binus.
They called on government to encourage such peace efforts and thanked POD for programme, saying that the result had already begun to manifest.
The Chairman, ECWA DCC Kaltungo, Rev Bulus E. Lilias, advised the participants to put what they learnt into practice in their communities.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Binta Idi, Sige Simon Tsaga and Irmiya Baskari promised to make use of the lessons leant and be true ambassadors of peace in their various communities.
Highlights of the occasion were prayers for peace, confession and presentation of certificates of attendance by Bala Waja, among others.
POD of ECWA also organized a similar seminar for victims from Miango Irigwe chiefdom.
It was held at the Jolly Guest House, Bauchi and had 20 victims drawn from Jebbu Miango and Ta’agbe, areas of Irigwe chiefdom.
Mrs. Magdalene Bitrus and Ladi Chohu, who are beneficiaries said the programme changed their perceptions about their persecutors, saying that, instead of hating them, they now love their enemies. It was also marked by trauma healing by a group of professional facilitators, sharing of experiences by the participants and a lot of practical work.