Catholic church urges Taraba Gov to facilitate return of IDPs

The General Assembly of the Catholic Diocese of Wukari in Taraba State on Saturday appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas, the state government, to facilitate the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.

This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the First General Assembly of the diocese held in Wukari, Taraba State, and signed by the Bishop, Most Rev. Dr. Mark Maigida Nzukwein, and Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Simon Akuraga.

The general assembly noted that the process of reconciliation needs justice and peace to flourish. This can only be possible when internal wounds caused by conflict are carefully given curative measures through dialogue and the conscience formation of the warring parties.

The statement read, “The past and ongoing conflicts in Taraba State, especially in the Central and Southern parts, are a complex phenomenon where thousands of people are being killed and displaced. In most cases, the conflicts are oversimplified, underreported, or completely neglected. The conflicts are either about land, politics, or conquest.

“The church acknowledges that conflict has always been the bane of development and the cause of tension. Apart from killing an individual or group emotionally and spiritually, destructive conflicts hurt group cohesion, promote interpersonal hostilities, divert energies, create bad feelings, lead to high labour turnover and costly litigation, and they can even kill physically.

“The Catholic Church of the Diocese of Wukari calls on all those who are actors in the lingering conflicts to sheath their swords, forgive one another, embrace peace, and give way for the preservation of human life and physical development.

“We call on the Taraba State government, whose primary duty is to ensure the welfare of citizens, to facilitate a successful return and reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state as the farming season approaches. This vital tool can bring about a lasting peace that forms an intrinsic component of peace-building plans.

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“This is no doubt a complex and daunting process, often requiring resources, technical skills, and meticulous planning. We strongly believe that if carefully followed, it will in the end help in tackling food insecurity in the state and beyond.”

While applauding the free education policy of the government of Taraba State, the church called on the government to give support to mission schools and return the mission schools taken over by the government to the church.