The frightening dance of commodore David Jonah Jang, Governor of Plateau State, and Alhaji Umaru Musa Yaradua, the President of the Federal Republic, are at best, unbecoming of statesmen, which they are by virtue of their current positions. It would have been fine to just let the matter rest on the steps of immaturity and emotionalism being exhibited by two religious and ethnic bigots, some people may argue.
Fact of the matter is that the utterances of the two PDP stalwarts, and top government officials are frightful and portend ill wind to the country. The comments and actions of the Plateau and Federal Governments are sowing seeds of division, further dividing the nation, fanning embers of bitterness and animosity, and paving way for further conflicts, mayhem and killings.
Differences of opinions in matters of conflicts are normal, especially in matters relating to the carnage and heavy loss of human lives such as happened in Jos.
First, it is obvious from undenied press reports that President YarAdua prefers to listen to sources outside the official Plateau Government channels as far as the Jos crisis is concerned. Of course, the reports he would have received would have been one sided.
Secondly, the hasty redeployment of the Police Commissioner of Plateau State Command and subsequent redeployment of all policemen of Plateau State origin from Plateau State even before an investigation is conducted gives the impression that the President has already made up his mind as to who is at fault in the Crisis. It may then be necessary to ask. Why waste public funds to conduct investigations if you already know what is wrong.
Third, how come the presidency did not clarify the reports that the Presidents wife visited only Muslim victims of the crisis. Over 20 churches were burred down “ with several pastors in them. A leader cannot afford the luxury of siding any faction in a conflict no matter the level of conviction. It is inconceivable that Muslims would have been the only victims. The president and his wife also have a responsibility to Christians.
Fourth, the violence that followed the Local Government election in Plateau was just one in the series of several similar conflicts that followed the fundamentally flawed local government elections in the country. Or to be more charitable, it would not be out of place to assume that the President may have been mislead. One area of mischief in the Jos crisis is the dumping of corpses in the mosque.
I am aware that several students of the University of Jos were either killed or disappeared. It is highly misleading to assume that all the corpses dumped in the mosque a were muslim corpses. If the military and security agencies had the courage and reasons to take picture of the corpses and show on local and international media, why would they not have allowed people to identify and claim their corpses.
Or was the mission of the military to give the impression that all the corpses belonged to Muslims? Are the tapes circulating in Kano, Kaduna as well as other northern states not a product of such antics? And are the comments of Mr. President, a supposed NEPU enthusiast, and radical chemistry teacher, not fueling, and giving legitimacy to the demands for vengeance? If vengeance starts now-how does the President expect the military to act given the fact that he has already tagged the Police from Plateau state? Would the President not have unwitting tied his hands? Would the world believe any action of the President, no matter how well intentioned, give the perception he has created that, as far as Jos is concerned he is father to only one group?
How about Air Commander David Jonah Jang? The appears to be showing that he lacks the skills to hold a community together. The actions of the government appear to show that, even if the political riots in Jos had not turned ethnic and religious, something would have still stumbled at some point.
The government is behaving as if it has something to hide. First, the Federal Government, as the custodian of the security of Nigeria has the right to investigate any security breach. The Plateau State Government and people may have issues with persons appointed to investigate but nothing in the law stops the Federal Government from investigating the Jos crisis. Certainly, the National Assembly, which alone makes rules to regulate the Army and Police which are now keeping the peace in Jos have the right to investigate the conflicts.
To refuse to testify before the any National Assembly Committee is criminal and very disrespectful of the constitution and authority. As a matter of fact the rules of the Senate and House of Representatives which are take their authority from the constitution of the Federal Republic, consider such actions so grievous that the either the Speaker or Senate President can order the arrest of offenders. Shunning the committee or doing anything that sabotages its work is very impolitic for the Plateau State Government. The National Assembly needs to be courted and wooed by the Plateau State Government. The National assembly needs to have all the correct information at its disposal. For instance, in the event that the federal authorities seek to impose a state of emergency, the Plateau State Government would need the National Assembly to frustrate such a move.
Furthermore, as a pilot who is versed in matters of timing the timing of the decisions of the Plateau State Government seem appear reactive “and anyone would be forgiven to believe that they are set up primarily frustrate Federal Government action.
In any event, the Plateau State Government is also giving the impression that as YarAdua is doing, so is it only interested in one of the two parties to the conflict. Both groups, Muslims and Christians, ought to be protected by the Plateau State Government
What then is the way out? The first thing that needs to be done is for both parties to cease fire. It is usually easier to start a conflict than to end it. The actions of the Federal and Plateau State Governments have the potentials to create more problems, and indeed destabilize democracy. Both parties have not acted appropriately.
Secondly, the President must do all in his powers to ensure that no revenge attacks take place because the visit of his wife, the dumping of corpses in the mosque and his comments have fuelled the vengeance mission. Furthermore, even though, as the Shehu of Borno said, the Jos conflicts have historical roots, there is no doubt that if the electoral process is transparent, this needless violence would not have occurred. There is the need to fast forward the promised electoral reforms
Certainly the President cannot blame Jang alone for rigging the poll and trying to impose his own. All State Government and the Katsina State Government under him did the same. Both, he Mr. President and the Plateau State Governor are beneficiaries and promoters of a sickening and shameful electoral process which effectively disenfranchises the people. Ghana has shown for the second time that election manipulation is not in the African blood.
As Barack Obama becomes as the most powerful man in the world, rather than rush to congratulate him African rulers need to bury their heads in shame. Had the whites or the Republicans behaved like Obasanjo, Mugabe and the dirty lot, the now more hopeful world would not be celebrating Obama. Indeed, the greatest medicine to the incessant conflicts in Nigeria is a transparent electoral system that inspires confidence. If the system were transparent and accountable, both Jang and YarAdua would have, had they any sense of shame, been submitting their letters of resignation.
Click here to read more on the Jos crisis and see pictures