Chief Jerry Gushop Visits IDP Camps in Mangu LGA, Pays Condolence Visit to Elder Samaila Makama

Amb. Friday Bako
Viewpoint Nigeria
24th July, 2018

Chief Jerry Gushop, Makama Mangu today visited the Internally Displaced persons of the attacks and killings that left over 200 persons dead, property destroyed and scores injured.

The displaced persons who are taking refuge in some parts of Mangu LGA, Plateau State were full of joy seeing the relief and empathy being demonstrated by Chief Gushop.

The Camps visited included those at COCIN RCC Compound Church Mangu, Ranpya and Mangun all in Mangu LGA, Plateau State.

Chief Jerry encouraged the people to remain strong and committed to God as He alone can restored their lost property and wealth.

H said the attacks, killings and sacking of people is barbaric, inhuman and condemnable but temporal setback and they should be resilient and committed to God.

He prayed God to help those affected and give them the capacity to contain the losses.

He said the little he brought as relief is to identify with them in their pains and this period of their agonies.

He said God would continue to prosper them and enable them emerge stronger and victorious.

Chief Jerry prayed for the souls of the departed to rest in peace.

He encouraged them to remain strong, peaceful and dedicated to God who he said will intervene in their predicament.

Chief Jerry Gushop said among those kids there, he can see great future leaders who the Country will benefit immensely from and charged them not to give up and derail from the ways of God.

Chief Jerry Gushop called on government at all levels to speedily attend to the humanitarian hardships being faced by the people as he said from the interactions he had with the people it is obvious they are suffering.

He commended the Plateau State Government for constituting a Committee that would work to ensure the return of the displaced persons to their ancestral lands while saying that should be done fast and with all seriousness. He said their terms of reference must be within a short period of time so that people can go back to their abode and start life again.

He called on the security agencies to rise up to their official responsibility of protecting lives and property as well as the territorial integrity of the nation against external forces and bad elements. He said government must be proactive in taking decisive action on the killer herdsmen.
He called on government to come up with a holistic and sound medical intervention for the displaced persons as most of them are malnourished and traumatized.

He said government must demonstrate the will power to put a permanent end to the senseless killings by the killer herdsmen. He also admonished government to get back illegally occupied lands to their original owners while providing adequate security in all the communities to avoid future attacks.

Relief materials supplied to the displaced persons included Bags of maize, rice and Gallons of Cooking Oil (Red and groundnut).

Rev. Idi Emma Tongpan, CAN Chairman mangu condemned the attack calling it genocides.

He said the situation is worsee than a war situation.

He said government has the power to stop the killings and must do the needful to regain the trust of the people.

He said the killers after killing and sacking the villages are occupying same and illegally harvesting crops of the victims.

He thanked Elder Jerry Gushop (Marafan Mangu) for the visit and show of love, care and concern through the relief materials.

If government cannot stop the ongoing genocide then it shows something is wrong. He called on government at all levels to come up with resettlement plans for the displaced persons to go back to their ancestral lands.

A victim who narrowly escaped being killed in Yelwa Exland, Barkin Ladi LGA couldn’t hide his tears as he cried uncontrollably while explaining how they were attacked, many killed with most slaughtered like animals and burnt to death beyond recognition. He said the attackers were hired mercenaries who didn’t understand the terrain if not more lives would had been lost. He said he still don’t know how he escaped being killed.

Da Mwan’ar Ishaku Audu thanked Chief Jerry Gushop for the empathy being displaced.
He said all those who are in his domain are his people who were unjustly attacked without provocation. He said they are predominantly farmers and peaceful but was shocked on how they were attacked, their property looted/destroyed and most butchered like animals.

He said government must be serious in handling the insecurity bedevilling Plateau State, Middle Belt and Nigeria as a whole.

He frowned at how over 30,000 security personnel were sent to Ekiti State just for the conduct of Governorship election but few are being deployed to handle the war situation in Plateau State. He said he is not against the government but how could conduct of elections be more important than the protection of human lives.

He call on government at all levels, NGOs and well spirited individuals to come to the aid of the people towards meeting their immediate and long-term humanity situations as well as reconstructing their destroyed homes for rehabilitation.

COCIN RCC Compound Church is Housing 1,400 Displaced persons, with Ranpya having 100 and Mangun having 400.

Bibles from Gideon Int’l were shared to the displaced persons.

Chief Jerry Gushop also paid condolence visit to the former Chairman National Population Commission (NPC), Elder Samaila Makama in his Gindiri Residence on the demise of his mother. He said Mama lived a worthy life who is to be emulated. Chief Jerry said death is inevitable and the path of every mortal and prayed for her soul to rest in peace

Elder Samaila Makama thanked Chief Jerry Gushop and his entourage for the visit and consoled with Mwagavul Nation and Plateau State on the senseless killings in B/Ladi LGA that left many of the people dead.

He pleaded for peace and said vengeance should be left to God.

He charged the youths not to retaliate.

He said life is sacred, both the Bible and Quran abhors taking lives.

He said Gindiri people also lost 4 persons.
He condemned the killings.

Chief Jerry Gushop had elders, youths and women in his entourage who accompanied him.

Below are pictures of the visits: