A group, Gowza Christian Elites Forum, has called on their brethren in Nigeria and abroad to return and occupy their homes recovered from Boko Haram territories in Borno State.
The Chairman of the forum, Mr Emmanuel Ibrahim Mbitsa, who spoke to Daily Trust at their Christian National Conference in Maiduguri, said relative peace had been recorded in the area.
Mbitsa said it’s high time for Gwoza indigenes to return, take responsibility of the recovered territory and participate in governance to contribute their quota in the development of the state irrespective of tribe or religion.
He said, “In fact, we thank Almighty God for all that He’s done to us. We know what transpired some years back, Gwoza was a no-go area, and it happens to be the caliphate (headquarters) of Boko Haram, but as time goes on, the government has provided relative peace in the area and ensured that some IDP camps in border countries and within Maiduguri have been closed down and relocated people back home.
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“That is why we are trying to encourage our people to return, because some people are still skeptical of returning home. We want to bring that consciousness that home is home, and those people living there are also human beings.
“We can see at least a bit of relative peace returning, but the government alone cannot do it. People should now come and join hands with the government, because if you say only the government would do it, then who’s the government? It’s we the people.”
Asked if the ongoing reconstruction of destroyed structures had reached their area, he said, “Apart from Ngoshe, there is no any further extension of the reconstruction, that’s why we are calling on the state government, the United Nations (UN) and all the NGOs that are helping in reconstruction, rehabilitation and reintegration of people to help in providing facilities for our people to get safe landing and return to their ancestral homes. Like the way we have it in Pulka, Gwoza and even Ngoshe.
“We are calling on the government to expand and the security agencies to help us provide enough protection for the returnees.”
Mbitsa admitted that there were still pockets of attacks and other security challenges in some parts of the area, but that, “We have to tell ourselves the truth, we can’t just be pushing blames on the government always.
“Government is doing its best, but we will still tell them to do more on security because that is the first thing that any president or governor should provide to his people without compromise.”
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