By Ebriku John Friday
The Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission NCPC, Rev. Yakubu Pam has been navigating the waters of peace in Southern Kaduna since the recent killings of innocent persons in the affected communities.
Just over the weekend, the NCPC boss who doubles as the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN 19 Northern States visited the two internally displaced persons camp for Christians and for Muslims. At Mercy Camp which was donated by the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) at Zonkwa Southern Kaduna and Ladduga Community at Kachia Local Government of Kaduna State. At the Mercy camp, the Executive Secretary was warmly received by the leaders and displaced persons in the camp.
In a statement by the Head of Media of NCPC, Mr Celestine Toruka, stated that the NCPC boss commended the efforts of the well-meaning Nigerians who had demonstrated love for these persons whose situation was no fault of theirs. Some of them have been providing relief materials to these persons in terms of food and materials.
Rev. Pam admonished them to forgive the perpetrators of the heinous crime because to err is human but to forgive is divine. According to the NCPC boss “you must forgive, if you do not forgive you will die in hypertension, adding that God allowed it for a purpose”. He further advised them to be patient and accept the situation they found themselves.
He told them that he came with his team under the love of God and God will never abandon them.
Rev. Pam further affirmed “on behalf of the NCPC and CAN 19 Northern States, we brought this good gift for you; good friends contributed when we appealed to them for assistance”
He urged them to be prayerful at all times “because life in the camp is never easy” He called on the States, Federal government and the Federal Ministry of humanitarian Affairs, Disaster and Social Development to come to the aid of the displaced persons.
He assured them that the Government would surely do what is humanly possible to assist them.
At the Fulani Settlement at Ladduga, the NCPC boss informed them that he had been to the Christians IDP camp to empathize and encouraged them with relief materials hence he decided to replicate same considering the fact that we are we are all one irrespective of our religious divide.
Earlier, the NCPC boss paid a condolence visit to His Royal Highness, The Agwatyap, Dominic Yahaya whose communities were greatly affected by the crisis.
He urged him to bury the hatchet and seek for permanent solution confronting his people. “The NCPC boss further assured His Royal Highness, “We will do our best to always search for peace to make sure that peace returns to Southern Kaduna”
Rev. Pam also encouraged the traditional ruler not to apportion blame, rather he said there was need for everyone to join hands and dialogue so that peace will reign. According to him, “solutions must come from within and Government needs to do a lot”
Speaking, His Royal Highness thanked the NCPC boss for finding time to communicate with him and his subjects at their trying moment.
He promised to initiate a peace summit comprising all the Fulani leaders and the Christian leaders so that the objective of returning peace and harmony in the chiefdom would be achieved.
In the same vein, the NCPC boss also visited His Royal Highness, Mallam Nuhu Bature, the Agwam Bajja at Zango Kataf Local Government.
The NCPC boss called on the federal Government to give the traditional rulers very important role to play in our constitution because they are the custodian of our culture and should play the role of stabilizer.
Responding, His Royal Highness thanked the NCPC boss for coming. According to him, “this courtesy call is very specially, the very nice way you said your words have gone very far to console us”
The Royal Father averred that the Good Lord had a way of helping them even though they do not know what to do.
He affirmed, “It is personalities like you that have been coming to offer assistance” He explained that the incident was very unfortunate and the Good Lord would not allow it to happen again.
The NCPC delegation was joined by the CAN officials of the affected local Governments.
