Gutah Family Meeting Assists IDPs in Mbengwi

Gutah Family Meeting Assists IDPs in Mbengwi

Gutah is one of the zones that make up the Meta clan in Mbengwi Central Sub Division. The classification of Meta into zones was done by the Meta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA). Gutah is made up of villages like Ngwokwong, Acha-Tugi and Chup.

Gutah Family Meeting Members & Assisted IDPs

Within the Mbengwi municipality, there exists an amalgamation of sons and daughters from these aforementioned villages under the nomenclature of Gutah Family Meeting. For over four years now, they've been meeting monthly from one members residence to another for emancipation, unity, development and progress in their area though such has been at a very slow pace primarily because of its enclaved nature (thickly forested and hilly) that has forced inhabitants to go out in search of better life elsewhere.

Mr. Njohjam Alfred, President, Gutah Family Meeting, Mbengwi

In the face of the ongoing Anglophone crisis, Gutah zone has unfortunately been one of the highest hit areas. Several fierce fire exchanges between pro independence fighters and state forces leading to deaths on both sides and civilian casualties  have been reported in Gutah. Strategically located, Gutah is a transit zone between Mbengwi and two other sub divisions: Njikwa and Andek. The attacks are usually sparked each time government forces have to pass through Acha-Tugi to Njikwa or Ngwokwong to Andek for state missions. Nowadays, access to these two sub divisions by vehicle is almost impossible.

Donated Items

As such many villagers have had to escape to Mbengwi central to stay with their relatives. For this reason, moved by the plights of the disabled, Gutah Family Meeting, Mbengwi recently carried out a humanitarian gesture by assisting their mothers, father's and children that have been displaced from the village and are now residing with them in Mbengwi. 

They (the beneficiaries) were twenty five in number. It was during last Sunday's meeting of June 9 2019 in G.R.A Mbengwi that the gesture was carried out. The concerned were donated basic needs like plastic buckets and bowls, cubes of soap, dresses, rice and maggi. 

Madam Amuzang Alice Amboh, an elderly mother told us why she had to relocate from Ngwokwong to Mbengwi. As the story goes, from time to time they've been escaping into the valleys each time there are fire exchanges only to come back and meet their houses broken into, looted and walls perforated by bullets. But of recent, she had to carry her grand children and completely get out of the village for safety in Mbengwi after unknown armed men stormed the village, attacked a compound, shot to death a young boy, inflicted machete wounds on the family head and others after which they went away with some family items and money. 

Porridge Cocoyams (Nang Tari) Traditional meal of the Meta People

Mr. Njohjam Alfred, the president of Gutah Family Meeting, Mbengwi explaining why the group chose to carry out such a gesture said "We realised IDPs are people who are in need because they've been displaced from their places of origin so we decided to make this kind gesture because we feel for them." Before now, within the past years, members of the meeting had been reaching out to needy widows and orphans in the villages. Some weeks and months ago, IDPs in Mbengwi had received assistance from Plan International, the Meta Cultural and Development Association (MECUDA) and the government's Emergency Humanitarian  Package.