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From Billy Graham Abel, Yola
Ahead of a grand reception, honour event, and unveiling of the Gongola Peoples Forum in Yola, Markus Gundiri says the organisation is a conglomerate of all ethnic nationalities in the country, aimed at fostering unity and economic progress.
Gundiri said the group has set Saturday to unveil the forum and that its honour event is designed to celebrate its illustrious sons and daughters and to officially launch the forum’s identity. This is in order to highlight the social, cultural, and geographical significance of the forum in the country.
The Gongola Peoples Forum made this position known at a post-event press briefing led by Markus Gundiri on Thursday in Yola, Adamawa State.
The group says the name Gongola bears a cultural, ethnic, and sociological interconnectivity that captures diverse ethnic nationalities across various geopolitical zones in the country. They added that Saturday’s event is designed to highlight the success of its members, the uniqueness of its geographical identity, and the essence of multicultural peaceful coexistence through several centuries.
Addressing newsmen in Yola, Gundiri said the celebration is designed to foster unity and economic development of the indigenous groups within the Gongola enclave. It also aims to reenact the longstanding unity and togetherness which the people share as a common heritage.
According to Gundiri, “This event is not a political meeting, it is a celebration of our people who have excelled in various fields of endeavour and who fall within the Gongola identity. It is a normal practice to recognise your people, and that is what we will be doing come Saturday.
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“Most of us share a common culture, traditions, beliefs, and language. These ethnic nationalities have been living together harmoniously and constitute a larger chunk of ethnic groups living within Adamawa, Taraba, Borno, Plateau, Nasarawa, among several other states in the country.”
Gundiri explained further, “There have been attempts in the past to enforce separation among members of the Gongola nation who have been together as far back as the 1780s and share cultures that we generally refer to as Gongola culture.
“Our goal is to revisit, reawaken, and reassert ourselves as people with independent minds and ability to forge their own economy and identities.
“Above all, we will be unveiling the Gongola Peoples Forum on Saturday.”
The award and recognition event is expected to be attended by the former military head of state, General Yakubu Gowon, TY Danjuma, among other statesmen.
The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, and his counterpart from Plateau and Taraba states are among the special guests scheduled to attend the occasion.
