The West Africa Network for Peace Building, (WANEP) has donated football wears to youths of Lunguda and Waja Tribes in Nyuwar Community of Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State to promote peaceful co-existence among them.
Both tribes have been at loggerhead in recent times resulting in violent clashes that had claimed tens of lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
WANEP National Network Coordinator, Mrs. Bridget Osakwe represented by Mr. Mohammed Umar Farouk, listed the items donated to include: two sets of 16 Jerseys, two sets of football socks, two balls, two sets of captain bands and whistles, as well as four sets of training bibs for regular training of each of the teams and two sets of Goalkeeper Jerseys.
Farouk said the choice of football wear was borne out of the proposals made by the youths and women from the Nyuwar community during the various peace dialogues held.
According to him, the participants recommended the introduction and provision of sporting facilities for activities between them so that the long-standing bond of unity and peace would be resuscitated and strengthened.
“Each of the two clubs, “Wonders Sparrows” and “Gilengitu FC” of Nyuwar, were a mixture of players from both tribes, so as to strengthen their relations.
“The community proposed three activities, one of which is strengthening sporting activities in the community as a unifier of the youths in the community to support peace-building processes. WANEP is using an all-inclusive approach so as to carry everyone along,” he said.
Receiving the items from the representative of WANEP, in Talase, the Chairman of Balanga Local Government Area, Mr. Garba Umar, who was represented by the Chief Administration Officer, Mr. Adamu Yerima, thanked WANEP and commended the move as a very good step in bringing peace and development to the people in Nyuwar and Balanga Local Government Area as a whole.
With this thing, it will unite us the more. The two teams, you know, when a footballer wears a uniform, it gives him a new spirit, and the spirit will make him unite with others,” he said.
The Gombe State Emergency Management Agency represented by the Director and Head, Rescue and Rehabilitation, Mr. Mohammed Garba, said the gesture by WANEP made his organization the happiest because, with the unity and peace in Nyuwar, Gombe SEMA would have fewer burdens in its hands.
He added that he is delighted that sports activities are being used to quell the recent recurring crisis between the Lunguda and Waja tribes in Nyuwar because sporting activities are global facts that generate peace everywhere in the world.
“As part of our efforts in ensuring that peace prevails, we are in constant collaboration with organizations like WANEP to ensure that we send the message of peace to local communities where there used to be violence from time to time. So, it is the continuation of this that today, we are giving these football jerseys and footballs to these two clubs from Nyuwar..
“Problems are forgotten and friendship is built as a result of the sporting activities being conducted. It will go a long way to strengthen the friendship, especially when it is handled properly,” said Garba.
Mr. Abubakar Ibrahim Magaji, Sports Officer of Balanga Local Government Area, thanked WANEP for the gesture, saying he is delighted that Waja and Lunguda will now come back to being one like they were in time past.
Some of the players expressed their gratitude to WANEP for accepting and responding to their request for peace in the area.
Nasiru Ardo, a footballer with Wonders Sparrows FC promised that because the items are meant to unite the two tribes, no stories of crisis would be heard from their end, because they were already united.
Suleiman Ayuba who is also a player with Gilengitu FC said there will be no more fighting in Nyuwar or outbreak of violence in Nyuwar again adding that they would now be playing five times a week in the community.