ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF JOS
| CONCERNED PLATEAU ELDERS SPEAK |
ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF JOS
1. The elders of Plateau State commiserate with the government and people of Plateau State and indeed Nigeria over yet another unnecessary, unwarranted and wanton destruction of innocent lives and properties Of citizens in Jos and its environs. 2. The Elders pray for the quick recovery of our dear president and Commander in Chief Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'adua GCFR who has been hospitalized for nearly three months in Saudi Arabia. 3. The Elders commend the efforts of the Federal Government especially the Vice President Dr. Good luck Jonathan GCON for his prompt intervention and personal visit to the State with his entourage. 4. The Elders also appreciate the visit by representatives of the Governor's Forum, Traditional and Religious leaders, various associations, NGOs and public spirited persons who visited and continue to visit and support affected persons in the State. 5. We commend the efforts of the State Governor Da Jonah David Jang for his prompt intervention together with the security services in containing the crisis. 6. We condemn totally the resort to violence at the slightest provocation and state in no uncertain terms that there is no justification whatsoever for the unfortunate carnage in Jos. 7. The Elders Forum reaffirms its unflinching faith in the unity of Nigeria with the guaranteed right of every Nigerian to live and carry on lawful business in any part of Nigeria irrespective of his religion, tribe or creed. 8. The Elders believe that the dispute as to who is a settler or an indigene is absolutely unnecessary as every Nigerian should feel free to settle down and carry on his legitimate business in any part of the country. This clear provision of our constitution carries with it a corresponding responsibility on settlers and indigenes alike to respect the cultural and traditional values of each other. 9. We commend the openness and hospitality of Plateau State indigenes whose sacrifice has made Jos and indeed the entire Plateau State the most cosmopolitan city and state in the old Northern region of Nigeria. Since colonial times and the emergence of tin mining, Jos has been home to the Urhobo. Hausa, lbos , Yoruba, Nupes, Terawas etc who provided labour for European mining companies and eventually settled down in the mining camps and suburbs that emerged. These people and their descendants have property integrated with their host communities. As a result, Plateau State has produced a Yoruba Commissioner, Igbo Board Chairman and Board Members, an Urhobo Member of the House of Assembly, various Hausa and Fulani members of local Governments. State and National Assemblies and many others. How many states in Northern Nigeria can match these? Yet only one ethnic group is crying about marginalization In Jos among other settler stakeholders. It is this same group that is needlessly contesting the ownership of Jos with the indigenes. 10. For the avoidance of doubts. we list here below a few of several important executive. legislative and judicial positions held by non indigenes in Plateau State over the Years. EXECUTIVE POSITIONS 1. late Chief Janet Akinrinde Commissioner for Revenue - Oyo Slate 2. Dr. Chris Abashiya Special Adviser on Higher Education-Kaduna 3. Alhaji Danjuma Adamu Dabo Special Asst. To the Governor- Bauchi 4. Late Alh. Mabudi Special Asst. to the Governor-Nasarawa 5. Alhaji A. Dankurma Current Chairman Musiim Pilgrims Welfare Board¬ Kano 6. Alhaji Innusa Ubale Current Special Asst. to the Governor - Kano 7. Alhaji Salisu Musa Current Special Asst. to the Governor - Kaduna 8 Hajiya Altine Mudi Current Special Asst. to the Governor - Bauchi LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS 1. Alhaji Isiaku Gwamna Member House of Assembly Kaduna -Gombe 2. Alhaji Isa Haruna Member House of Reps Lagos - Kano 3. A1haji Salihu Nakande Member Northern House of Assembly - Kano 4. Alhaji Inuwa Dan Anacha Member Plateau State House of Assembly - Kano 5. Alhaji lnuwa Ali Member House of Reps Abuja - Kano 6. Alhaji Inuwa Ada Member Plateau State House of Assembly - Bauchi 7. Alhaji M.K. Sani Member Plateau State House of Assembly - Kano 8. Alhaji Dahiru Mabugo Member Plateau State House of Assembly - Gombe 9. Chief J.K Akporido Member Plateau State House of Assembly - Delta 10. Alhaji Akawu Namata Member House of Reps - Kano 11. Alhaji A.A Kazaure Member House of Reps - Jigawa 12. Alhaji Shehu Sale Hassan Member House of Reps - Gombe 13. Alhaji Samaila Mohammed Current Member House of Reps - Kano 14. Alhaji Ibrahim Baba Hassan Current Dep. Speaker House of Assembly - Yobe 15. Alhaji Asliyu Wana Member House of Assembly Nasarawa JUDICIARY 1. Hon. Justice Obi Okoye Chief Judge Plateau State - Anambra 2. Hon. Justice George Uloko Chief Judge Plateau State – Benue 3. Hon. Justice Luke Emefor Judge High Court of Justice - Imo 4. Hon. Justice M.O. Oyetunde Judge High Court Justice - Oyo 5. Hon. Justice Constance Momoh Judge High Court Justice – Edo 6. Hon. Justice Azinge Judge Court Justice – Delta Except for the first three (3) legislative positions, all other appointments were made between 1979 to date. We venture to ask, are there no non indigenes like Ibos, Yoruba, Urhobo, northern minority tribes and millions of other Nigerians in the 'Sabon Garis' and other ‘settler quarters' of Bauchi, Kano, Zaria, Kaduna metropolis, Katsina etc? Do they enjoy the kind of hospitality meted to settlers in Jos? How many have similar positions as shown above? How many have represented these cities even at local government levels? In Jos North Local Government Council, non indigenes have always been elected or appointed into the council since its creation. For example. Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed Elected Chairman, 1992, Hausa Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande Council Secretary 1992, Hausa Chief Eke Elected Councilor, 1976, Ibo Alhaji Raji Elected Councilor, 1976, Yoruba Today's Jos North Local Government council includes the following non indigenes Elected Councilors 1. Hon. Kelechiku Nnamani lbo - Enugu 2. Hon. Joseph Ukpabi Ibo -Imo Supervisory Councilors 1. Hon. Felix Okonkwo 1bo -Abia 2. Hon. Linda Adeyele Yoruba Yet their people lay no claim to the ownership of Jos 11. We are proud of the fact that the hospitality of Plateau State has provided a permanent abode for all peace loving Nigerians, nurtured and trained prominent public officers, sportsmen, businessmen, actors, traditional rulers and statesmen including the present and immediate past Governors of Bauchi State ( Governors Ahmed Muazu and lsa Yuguda). It is from the House of Assembly of this same Bauchi that Plateau Indigenes are being chased out. Ironically there have been calls for the balkanization of Plateau State and 'return' of Jos to Bauchi. From Gombe we have heard weird and ridiculous suggestions that Federal Institutions in Plateau State should be redistributed to Bauchi, Nasarawa and Kaduna States. Given these circumstances, it needs no soothsayer to discern some of the remote causes of the crisis in Jos. 12. We condemn the style of reporting of the Jos crisis by certain section of the media which tend to portray Plateau indigenes and their leaders as unfriendly, hostile, ethnocentric and unaccommodating. Fortunately, history cannot justify these reports. Was it Plateau indigenes that burnt down churches in Nasarawa Gwom, killed and burnt down houses of their brothers, Berom, Afizare, Anaguta, Mwaghavul, Ngas, Gammi people etc? Who dominate Congo Rosha and Angwan Dalyop areas of Jos? Or was it the Beroms that burnt their own houses and killed themselves in Bisichi? Where are the corpses and Internally Displaced Persons (lDPs) from the carnage in these areas? Was it Plateau indigenes that razed down and looted Ibo and Yoruba shops in bukuru? Regrettably the crisis has only succeeded in bringing out the animal instinct in man to the shame of all whether Hausa or Berom, Anaguta, or lbo, Jarawa. Terawa, Taroh or Yoruba and whether Christian or Muslim, no one was spared this carnage and we must all share in the blame without casting aspersions or accusing fingers at any tribe or religion. 13. Certain media houses have continued to show pictures of IDPs of a particular religion thus creating the false Impression that they are the only victims of the conflict. As if to confirm this, corpses of people of different tribes and religious are gathered and displayed to the media as victims from one ethnic group. This was the style exhibited in the 2008 crisis until it was later admitted that the deceased persons displayed and given mass burial included non Muslim who e corpses were picked on the streets! It is most unfortunate that the misfortune and death of innocent citizens is being used as instrument of propaganda. 14. We note with regret the unfortunate reference of the crisis in Jos in certain quarters as 'genocide' and dare to ask ‘genocide by who, and against who? There can be no justification tor sectarian, ethnic or religious violence anywhere in Nigeria by whatever name it may be called. It is ' genocide' in Jos. it is equally' genocide' in Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa, Maiduguri, Zangon Kataf, Kano, Kafanchan, Kaduna etc and must be condemned with every legitimate force at our disposal. Genocide is a product of terrorism and must not be condoned unless we want to retain our name in the US watch list of terrorist countries. 15. We condemn the removal and redeployment of the immediate past Police Commissioner Mr. Greg Anyanting in the heat of the riots. Another Commissioner of Police was redeployed from Jos in similar circumstances during the 2008 crisis. A system that punishes a person for speaking the truth is most despicable and condemnable. Would the police authorities have preferred false reports that would sweep the truth under the carpet? We urge the authorities to redeploy this courageous officers to his post immediately, 16. We equally condemn discriminate arrest and of alleged rioters from Plateau State for trial in Abuja. One detainee has already died in Police custody without trial. Is this a vote of no confidence on the Plateau State judiciary or where then is the rule of law? What has happened to the armed mercenaries from Kogi State arrested in Jos and similarly transferred to Abuja during the last 2008 crisis? We call on Nigerians to follow carefully the fate of the arrested youths and see how many will go on and their backgrounds. 17. While we commend the military and security agencies, it is unfortunate that there were cases of gross professional and unethical conduct by uniformed men who shot and killed innocent and defenseless civilians. Cases of 'fake soldiers' were rampant and we wonder where and how these 'fake soldiers' obtained uniforms and armed appearing same as the ones used by men of the armed forces. This matter calls for immediate investigation otherwise confidence will be lost in our armed forces who have distinguished themselves as international peace keepers. 18. We condemn in the strongest terms the demolition and burning down of places of worship for whatever reasons. If it is true that sectarian conflicts in Northern Nigeria are not over religion, why burn down places of worship? Why slaughter clergy men? Why attack worshippers inside their places of worship. Have we lost our sense of moral values that we fail to appreciate the sanctity of churches and mosques. 19. We listened with shock and dismay as Aljazeera Cable Network TV announced that the terrorist group Al - Qaeda was prepared to intervene and supply arms to defend Islamic groups in central Nigeria particularly Jos. We hope that the Federal authorities and other Nigerians heard the news. 20. We call on the Plateau State Government to immediately set up structures that will initiate dialogue and confidence building measures with the various communities towards finding a lasting solution to the Jos crisis. We call on our traditional Rulers, Religious, Tribal and Community leaders to preach peace, tolerance and respect for one another's religious beliefs, traditional and cultural values. Though tribes and tongues may differ, though cultures religions and traditions may differ, in brotherhood we stand under one true God from whom we came and unto whom we shall return and render account of our journey to this world. 21. Once again, we commend the Vice President for appointing a 15 – man committee to find lasting solutions to the unfortunate perennial crisis in Jos. We appeal to the various communities and stakeholders to cooperate with the committee and make suggestions on the way forward. 22. Finally, we join the Vice president and all the people of Nigeria in praying that this will be the last ethno religious crisis in Plateau State and indeed Nigeria. Unless there is peace and justice in all of Nigeria our dream to be among the 20 most developed nations of the world will remain but a dream. LONG LIVE PLATEAU STATE LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REBUPLIC OF NIGERIA. Signed: 1. Senator George Baba Hoomkwap - Chairman 2. Chief S.S. Gofwen 3. Cosmos Niagwan 4. Ambassador Selchum 5. Chief Jethro Akum 6. Alhaji Habu Shinda 7. Hon. Simon Lalong 8. Hon. Victor Lar 9. Hon. James Bakfur 10. Brig. Gen. S. Abok (rtd) 11. Brig. Gen. John Tyem Long (rtd) 12. Chief S.D. Lot 13. Hon. B. Shiknugul 14. Mrs Monica Gwom 15. Elder M. Gunen 16. Hon. Haruna Gini 17. Hon. Christopher S. Jang 18. Barr. Danjuma Maina - Secretary 19. Dr. Jonah Madugu 20. Hon. Muhammed Abubakar 21. Chief G.M. Zyok 22. Alhaji Abubakar Dashe 23. Alhaji Umaru Miango 24. Chief Joshua Wakkli 25. Col. John Dungs (rtd) 26. Da Bulus Dareng 27. Group Capt. I.T Danyil 28. Hon Nanzip Sambo 29. Alhaji Ado Ismaila 30. Hon. Talatu Apini 31. Hon. Geofrey Yilleng 32. Dr. Charles Gonyok (mni) 33. Hon. Stephen Kibadau 34. Hon John Arkson 35. Hon Bulus Bature |