A Non-governmental organisation under the “Great Gboko Reunion”, has pledged partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations and other stakeholders within and outside the country, for the development of Gboko, a town in Benue State.
The Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Great Gboko Reunion 2020, Dr Jeffrey Kuraun, made the promise in Abuja on Saturday, after he was inaugurated along with members of his team.
Kuraun, a Petroleum Engineer, said he would lead the association to rebuild the town along with other willing development partners across the world.
According to him, “It is, therefore, a veritable opportunity for the Gboko person to extend a hand of strategic partnership to a spectrum of professionals from other States and Countries who are either born or groomed in Gboko for the purpose of the restoration of the old glory of Gboko and equally transforming it to a modern-day hub, attractive to Millennial- minded people all over the world”.
Dr Kuraun also pledged to ensure that at least one capital project was executed by the group every year, in Gboko.
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According to him, “that is not all, recall that on one or two occasions, formal or informal, we have always emphasized that the very reason for the reunion is simply tied to the development of Gboko town. Therefore, we are open to receive suggestions and embark on several developmental projects with a plan to complete at least one major project every year.
“The inauguration of the Reunion today marks the beginning of a paradigm shift in the development and restoration of the old glory of Gboko town.
“It is an epochal event that must not be overlooked by Gboko and her well-wishers because of the constructive and benign effects it would have on Gboko town in a few years from now.
“This is largely because what we have collectively done today is almost a novel and indeed very rare in this part of the world.
“In other words, we are saying that the development of a town or location, is not solely the responsibility of the Government; it is also the duty of everyone born or groomed in that particular place, to make out time to contribute to its development, irrespective of whether he/she is an indigene or not”
He said the significance of the inauguration in Abuja, was to send a clear message to the ruling class in Benue and the rest of the country, that Nigerians of different backgrounds and culture, were capable of uniting to develop their communities without government input.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are passing a very big message to our political leaders and telling them that indeed Nigerians are ready to live together and work towards the making of a new Nigeria by de-emphasizing ethnic, creed or racial considerations.
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“Rendered differently, what we are saying to the rest of the world is that Or Gboko is not necessarily a Tiv man but rather, he/she is a person who is interested in the development of Gboko town, regardless of his/her State or Country of origin. Some of us can now understand why the inauguration had to take place in FCT, Abuja, he stated.
He, however, warned that “It is very important to quickly state here, that the Or Gboko who is also a Tiv man, has a greater stake in the development and restoration of the INFRASTRUCTURAL DECAY and INSECURITY that has come to be associated with the town in recent times”.
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