By Olukayode Michael, Maiduguri
The unity of people in the North-East needs to be rebuilt after the Boko Haram crisis has dealt a lethal blow on it, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has said.
Speaking at the weekend during a two-day dialogue initiative with traditional leaders, women and youths from Gwoza Local Government, the Senior Programme Officer of CDD, Jasper Ukachukwu lamented that the 10 years Boko Haram crisis has affected the unity of the people of the North-East in tatters.
CDD, a pro-democracy group has organized a dialogue initiative programme to re-unite victims of Boko Haram insurgency and communities affected by the violence in Borno State.
Ukachukwu said: “We have done our assessment with all the communities on the impact of the violence and we realized that there is need to bring the people together, to heal the wound of the insurgency.”
He said issue of water and sanitation was also part of the programme as displacement of people has engendered peaceful co-existence.
He said: “People move from one place to another because of several attacks and it is expected that there will be struggle over water which is not even adequate. So we are looking at this critical issue, sensitizing the people on what should be done when such situation arises.”
The CDD Programme Officer for the peace initiative, Steve Amuda said the programme was designed with special focus on sports as a potent tool for promoting peace.
He disclosed that the youths will be encouraged to get involved on sporting activities to re-unite the people.
He revealed that. Gwoza was chosen because of its peculiarity having several ethnic units and languages.
Gwoza, an heterogamous town southeast of Maiduguri, has over 14 ethnic units. Boko Haram had been reported to have set communities against themselves using their religious differences.
The insurgents in 2014 allegedly gathered people in two communities through misinformation using religious sentiment and then opened fire on them.