Towards Peace In Plateau State

It appears to be part of our national heritage that we should not have the willingness or political will to resolve issues which threaten the very root of our existence as a united country. This is the impression the recurrent spate of violence in some cities of the northern and the south-south region tends to convey, particularly in the minds of the foreign community. Otherwise, how else, could one explain the recent violence which has erupted in Jos, Plateau State which has the potential of threatening national security and the resolve of the diverse people of the country to live together? The latest reports emanating from Plateau State to the effect that some persons suspected to be Hausa/Fulani herdsmen invaded some villages in Jos, where several people including women and children were slaughtered in cold blood last Monday, is great cause for concern. Though over the years some cities in the northern part of the country had played host to such senseless internecine killings during which property worth million of naira were also destroyed, this current escalation of violence in Plateau State should be contained before it snowballs into a major crisis engulfing other parts of the country. This position is informed by the reasoning that since the major crises of January 17 and March 7, 2010 during which over 800 Nigerians were killed, some in most gruesome circumstances, all the sides to the crisis seem not to have learnt any lessons from their loses and have so far not shown any remorse over the mayhem. Consequently, it is dear from the latest incident that peace still eludes the plateau, even as the Security Task Force, STF is working hard to reassure law abiding citizens of the safety of their lives and properties. It was after last year’s mayhem that the presidency inaugurated a Presidential Advisory Committee on the Jos crisis to seek lasting solution to the problem there, which sadly enough, is said to be between Hausa/Fulani settlers and the indigenes of the area. The PAC which was headed by a former civilian governor of the state, Chief Solomon Lar had advised the presidency on the need to do something urgently to end the spate of attacks and reprisal attacks without which an end to the crisis in the state would never be realisable. Chief Lar also requested for presidential permission to visit the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar to seek his intervention toward ending the attack in some parts of the state by person suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. Besides, the PAC also called for a platform for a meeting among the governors of neighbouring states like Bauchi, Gombe, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Tarabe and the Federal Capital Territory over security issues which a synergy of their efforts could improve. But even as well meaning citizens from the area and others are working toward finding lasting solution to the crisis, this recent resurgence of violence there portends great danger to the nation particularly at this time when the presidency deserves no distraction from its promise to execute the electoral process in a most transparent manner, which  could only materialise in a peaceful atmosphere. This is why urgent but decisive steps need to be taken by the presidency to block lapses in the security arrangement there, so as to forstall destructive tendencies which now appear to be assuming a more dangerous dimension as the Ibo Community had alleged massacre of its members. At a recent press briefing in Jos the Ibo community Association, ICA said 40 of its members had been massacred with several others wounded and still missing. This is a dangerous development as the crisis said to be between “indigenes” and “settlers”, all from Nigeria, should not be allowed to escalate to other parts of the country by way of reprisal attacks. This warning follows assertions by the ICA that “Hausa/Fulani youths cordoned off the entire Dilimi area up to terminus round about with countless numbers of their commercial motorcycles while the killing of our people were going on at Dilimi and Bauchi roads”. This claim places a responsibly on the security agencies to be proactive to the point of stopping the killings on both sides before it snowballs into a major national issue engulfing other parts of the country.

The Security Task Force as now constituted areas  to be impotent at containing the crises hence the usual refrain from the police that investigation would be intensified with the view of finding the suspected murderers to face prosecution. It is high time our security agencies became more proactive in protecting lives and property of citizens without this time would exercises which comes after preventable destruction may have taken place.

Rising from its Security Council meeting on Monday the Plateau State government in a statement condemned the attacks and expressed regret  over the alleged involvement of underaged youths  in the mayhem in Bukuru and Jos, just as it also condemned the attack on a bus conveying Ibo travelers.  The embarrassment this crisis is causing the administration is better imagined especially in this election year.  Though the Jos crisis has been blamed on the failure of fellow Nigerians to live in peace, government should show it has the willingness and capability of protecting all Nigerians within and outside the country.The   Jos crisis which calls for drastic measures should be so handled to stop wanton destruction of lives.