Gyang Bere, Jos
A group under the aegis of Community Action for Popular Participation (CAPP) has called on Federal Government to build trauma healing centres for over 38,000 children, women and the aged persons who are languishing at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, in Plateau State.
Acting Executive Director of CAPP, Nelson Ananze, disclosed this, on Thursday, when the organisation visited victims of recent herdsmen attack in some IDP camps in Barkin Ladi and Bokkos Local Government Areas and provided them with succour.
He described as pathetic the condition of the wailing children and women at the IDPs camps and ask government to offer help for the victims who are passing through nightmare as a result of the gory killings of parents and spouses.
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“As Federal and State Government is making effort to rebuilt the ravaged communities, there is need to build trauma centres for psychosocial activity so that the victims can also forget the past and begin to leave as normal human beings again, that’s part of the rebuilding. They need to also supply relief materials on regularly basis to help alleviate their suffering.
“We have discovered a lot of trauma among the victims; particularly children and women who watch how their parents, spouses and loved ones were hack death.
“If you rebuild the communities physically by giving them decent housing and environment to live, they need trauma healing centres the most.”
Ananze lamented that despite their efforts over the years to reconcile the warring groups to imbibe the culture of tolerance and peace, bloodletting has been the order of the day.
“CAPP is a community focus organization, and since inception we have been working to empower communities, to do things that will improve their livelihood and security of lives and properties.
“We have been into conflict management and we have worked in these affected communities for a very long time.
“When this recent conflict happened, we felt that it is our duty to go to the affected persons in the IDP camps, to support them spiritually and give them more courage, that this is not the end of the world.
“Conflict is inevitable but they can still forget what has happened and forge ahead with live.”
Ananze urged the people to embrace peace and shun any act that is capable of causing trouble in the communities and the state and report any suspicious movement to security agency for prompt intervention.