JOS CRISIS AGAIN!!

AN EERIE SMOKY SUNRISE & A BLOODY SUNSET

 On September 11, 2008 YARAC with  League for Human Rights organized a Peace Walk in remembrance of September 7, 2001 Jos Crisis. It was a tragic moment for the many residence in Jos and Plateau at large. The crisis did spread to many parts of the state and there were reprisal actions in other parts of Nigeria. The purpose of the Peace walk was to identify with peace, encourage peace and remind each and every citizen on the Plateau of our responsibility to ensure that the relative peace that had returned to Plateau was sustained. This action was well received and commended. Government dignitaries, principal officers of the State House of Assembly, representatives of Non-governmental organizations, the security, the media, students and other segments of the society participated  in the 8km walkThe peace walk was fulfilling because of the actions of the Muslim community. The representatives were not deterred by the fasting period and awesomely joined in the walk. That was the spirit and aim of the activity: to unite to practice peace on the Plateau. To show fraternity and remind ourselves that our traditional societies had been a cooperative one. So, what went wrong again?  Of course  YARAC and League for Human Rights led the initiative on purpose. The body language of the political cohorts, utterances in public and private showed that there were feelings of marginalization and general underground grumblings of injustice. We noticed signs of religious tension and were concerned also with certain overzealous remarks and happenings. Following all these, YARAC and the members of the Human Security Network (HSN) embarked on advocacy visits to relevant security agencies, government institutions including the judiciary. A newsletter expressing some of these concerns was adequately distributed at each point of visit.  With all the background, what went wrong? SOME POLITICAL GANSTERISM or  RELIGIOUS RASCALITY?Twice the local government elections in Plateau were cancelled. No satisfactory  reasons were given for the annulment. The November 27 election was the third attempt. On the eve of the elections, there was a display of a combined security force (the military, the police, the Airforce and the Nigeria Defense Corp) around Jos and Bukuru metropolis. Heavy military trucks and armored cars were paraded with mean looking armed men. Reasonably, the action was  symbolic enough for persons with some funny intentions regarding the elections the next day. The elections came and were described ‘peaceful’ and the best ever in recent times in PlateauThe results were still been awaited when the city went into flames less than 12 hours of concluding the elections.The flames were ignited in Jos- North  again about 2.00am and this time it was worse than in 2001. RESIDENTS of Jos woke up with the shock of an eerie thick smoke in the air. The usual cool bright sun rise gave way to a cloudy tragic sun.  A YARAC staff was awoken by the noise on his street but only thought people were  celebrating the results of the elections. And that is how the chunky smoke continued and turned into a bloody sunset. Jos city witnessed massive destruction of properties and waste of lives in less than 48 hours more than what was experienced in 2001 all the days put together. The simple questions we are asking are these?Where did that pageantry show of security forces disappear to?What was the security report on Jos-North or any where else before the elections?Were elections held in the Churches or the Mosques? Why burn and destroy the worship places?Was this really a religious crisis? Or the unseen actions of some political adherents?  Shouldn’t we be telling the real story? 

 Telling the wrong story each time ..

 Each time experiences such as the Jos crisis occur in Nigeria, the federal and state governments, groups, individuals, some party loyalists are quick to blame and describe the happenings as actions of saboteurs, disgruntled elements, vandals or sponsored enemies of progress.  To the extent that some senior government officials including their unelected spouses join to making inflammatory remarks without caution. Some unpalatable remarks have been made about the Jos crisis widely published in some Nigerian dailies and aired on public television. Telling the wrong story all the time. As an organization we want all Nigerians to begin to reflect on the true meaning of peace.  We all know that atoms, nuclear power, increased armaments have not ensured peace instead more enemies are fertilized.  It is against this background that we are challenging the federal and states government to take stock. If the overriding issue is peace and development, then there is need to tell the right story, reflect on new perspectives of making peace since previous attempts have failed. And the truth is the leaders in government are responsible for the lack of peace. Peace is not only spiritual, is also physical and so materialistic: it has to do with the state of our bellies, health, shelter and security.  This means that there is enough food to go round; people are not undernourished or malnourished; that they can go to bed at night without fear. That the society  is well planned and that the politics of the country and that of the world are so arranged that everyone’s basic needs are met. Otherwise there will be no peace. A huge amount of money has been spent by many groups on peace work and the outcome does not seem to reflect what has been committed to it. According to Robert McAfee Brown “Peacemaking isn’t something we ought to do in our spare time, it’s something we need to do all the time”. In all human activities there is peacemaking if we are serious. Fighting to eliminate hunger is peacemaking; working to narrow the economic disparities between the rich and the poor is peacemaking. Whatever enhances the wellness of the human person is peacemaking. This is where the tragedy of Nigeria lies: that it has always been hijacked by unscrupulous leaders. So long as government has no committed policy for young people backed by political action (not just will), there will be no peace in Nigeria. Young people will always be ready arsenals for selfish political or religious bigots. We suspect this suits the government’s agenda. But for how long? Nigerian political leaders do not know what to do with young people. They are crudely expanding the philosophy “thingfication” of young people.  At least colonialism produced thousand subordinate functionaries, “boys’, artisans, office clerks, and interpreters necessary for the smooth operation of business. Colonialist could throw facts at our head, statistics, mileages of roads and railroad tracks. Our independence to borrow from Aimé Césaire, sadly enough has ‘brought fear, taught us inferiority complex, to tremble, kneel, despair, and behave like flunkeys’. And so proletarianization and mystification continues as the country gradually drifts to savagery. Let us stop the lies but to start telling the right stories now.  Otherwise there can be no PEACE!! 

When People Need Healing... 

  At moments like this, what people need is support, understanding and not words or sentiments that won’t change the present circumstance. The Jos crisis brought another shame to the entire nation so nobody should think it is a Jos or Plateau problem. That three young people in their prime performing their compulsory national service year were murdered in their resident is enough shame. And it is for this reason that we want to commend three categories of actors during the unfortunate madness as the governor of the state describes it. These actors are: first, the office of the Regional Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lamingo. Constitutionally, we aren’t sure this is their immediate responsibility. But this organ became the first security body to perform the roles of the red cross, the police, the army and that of other humanitarian agencies. The regional office became the home for over 5000 displaced persons. And standing their ground, the so-called rioters were almost invading the camp for more lives. For this we commend the Commandant and his team. The second category are those Christian and Muslims families that opened their doors to hide, accommodate and nurse the pains, wounds and heal the souls of many that would have been killed. We are aware of a Professors in the University of Jos who accommodated over 400 displaced persons each in their quarters. We are aware of Muslims and Christians who put their lives at stake to protect the lives of many people of different faiths in their homes. These are the real heroes and heroines. They are the people the world needs. Why others were passing judgments, these great persons started the healing process even as the crisis was on.  The third category for us are our partners. Development and Peace Canada, and ActionAid Nigeria. For many residents of Jos,  the recent crisis was a monumental shock. But except for those working with the grassroots, many people never dreamed that another nasty thing as the recent crisis will ever occur in Jos again. But the one thing all must learn that is certain ‘is nothing is certain’.  In less than 48hrs, over 20,000 people were displaced, over 300 persons mostly youths lost their lives and over 1000 persons had injuries of varying degrees. We are arguing that those killed are mostly young people because of the casualties we saw in the hospitals and the clinics. Most of those wounded with gun shots are young people. Women were also shot at and brutalized like  effigies. The catastrophe that followed required every  support and action to assist those wounded and displaced. YARAC quickly reached to her partners Development and Peace (D&P) in Montreal, Canada and ActionAid Nigeria supported by DFID. D&P swiftly gave approval to the sum of five hundred and twenty six thousand Naira only (the equivalent of $4500.00) while ActionAid Nigeria supported with three hundred thousand Naira only (the equivalent of $2564.00).  Thirty bags of 50kg worth of rice, Same number and size for Corn flour, forty (20 litres) of vegetable oil, one cow, Tea and beverages for lactating mothers and children, and over one thousand loaves of bread were distributed to the victims in seven camps. With the support from ActionAid Nigeria, YARAC made token donations to over twenty victims in the three major hospitals in Jos (Jos  University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Plateau Specialist Hospital, Evangelical Church of West Africa Christian Hospital (ECWA Jankwano) Jos, and AL-IHSAN (a private Clinic) in Angwan Rogo, a largely Muslim community. The beneficiaries are encouraged and were spiritually healed by the little actions. Some of the pictures are grueling and so We apologize if the pictures have assaulted your Senses. We wish we could keep some of them away from the public.BUT  THIS CARNAGE AND MADNESS MUST END.  

OUR FINAL STORY AND MESSAGE 

“Fatimah Alabi Oluwayemisi a Muslim and a native of Ibadan north local government of Oyo state. Hun! Yarac has been a home away from home. This statement is very important to me because Yarac has been a learning field as it makes me swim in a pool of experience. I was given the opportunity of having a room mate who is Gbrika Rita Eloho, a Christian from Delta state. Living with Rita (sleeping on the same bed, sharing the same bathroom, kitchen, plates and other utensils) has been a splendid experience. I never believe living with a Christian from a militant state (Niger Delta) could be this enjoyable. Initially when I was told by Yarac that I’m going to live with somebody pending the renovation of the Corpers lodge, I was scared because all my life at the university I lived off campus not because my parents were so rich to have made that decision but because I want to be free from room mate troubles. Haven lived with Rita for six months now had proven me wrong of anything I had in mind about  Christians and the Niger Delta. Though, for the period of six month that we lived together before we moved into the Corpers lodge, we had conflicts but one thing I believe supersedes everything is tolerance. We are still living in the same flat, sharing same kitchen, toilet. This is the essence of national service for me”