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Informed Commentary Or Journalistic Hooliganism? By Babayola Toungo I have so far refrained from commenting on the declaration of the state of emergency in Plateau state because of the religious slant that it has been given by commentators. As a matter of principle, I try as much to steer away from issues bordering on religion and ethnicity for the simple fact that they are emotive issues in Nigeria. But it appears the debate is taking a very dangerous turn with various commentators hiding behind their pens or names to cast aspersions on a certain segment of the Nigerian polity and a particular religion. Reading through some comments in the Nigerian papers leaves one sadder than before reading. At least it is assumed the killers are ignorant; but our so called ‘informed’ commentators cause more damage to our collective psyche than the brigands rampaging villages killing, maiming and raping with abandon. When people start comparing Plateau and Kano they appear to me to be deliberately twisting facts to suit their jaundiced purposes and satisfy their poisoned minds. While the killings in Plateau state have been going on for over three years, the Kano killings fizzled out in two days, thanks to the efforts of the state governor who the commentators are now vilifying. But that is beside the point. A murder is a murder; a life is a life. While the Kano state governor did all he could to ensure that the riots were brought under control, that of Plateau state was busy making inflammatory statements that were tantamount to adding fuel to the already raging conflagration. If the media chose not to report what has been happening in Plateau state in the past three years and now believe they could amplify the two-day riots in Kano to unmanageable crisis then I believe we their readers need our collective heads examined. Lest I be misunderstood, I am not justifying any riot anywhere in the country. I abhor violence and its perpetrators whoever they may be. The plateau crisis has the potential of spreading to other states thereby causing the complete breakdown of law and order just like it happened in Plateau. Already militias are mobilizing in states like Nassarawa, Benue, Taraba and Benue. It is the same scenario that spinned out of control in Kano. If Obasanjo didn’t act fast, only God knows the state of anarchy that Nigeria would have been by now. So the declaration of the state emergency, though very unpalatable, may be the only recourse for the federal government. The larger picture though is that Nigerians have been living under a state of emergency since May 29th, 2003, yet no one has said anything about it. I can’t fathom the religious/ ethnic card introduced into the whole saga. CAN as an umbrella organization of Christians in Nigeria is supposed to uphold the sanctity of life no matter whose life is on the line. I naively assumed that CAN would welcome whatever measure that may restore peace and sanity in Plateau state before any other thing could follow. Asking the federal government to impose emergency rule in Kano would in no way help the matter as the two cases are different. As a matter of fact, Obasanjo was quoted as saying he did not declare emergency rule in Kano for the simple fact that the troubles in Kano were fallout of the Plateau mayhem. Those that lost their lives or property in both Plateau and Kano are not just Muslims but Christians as well. Those media mercenaries that are equating Plateau with Kano in terms of insecurity should do well to remember that Lagos, where almost all of them are based is the only place that could be likened to Plateau of the past three years, yet when Obasanjo threatened to declare a state of emergency on the state, they all rose in unison to condemn him. And they should also know that the much maligned Ulama played a very, very vital role in calming people last year in the aftermath of the Idi Araba massacres. The story would have been different if not for the appeals by the Ulama for people to exercise restraint and leave everything to God. Paradoxically they are today the subjects of derision and denigration. But it is now apparent to all those who care to read in between the lines that there is a wider agenda to all this madness. Or how do you explain someone purportedly commenting on the declaration of state of emergency in Plateau state, while sitting in the comfort of his office in Lagos, far away from the scene of the carnage, will veer off and start giving you the demographic structure of Adamawa state viz a viz the Christian – Muslim population/ composition in the state? A state which to all intents and purposes he has never visited. I can’t for the life of me understand the correlation between the state of emergency in Plateau and the ethnic/ religious configuration of Adamawa state. Both the Muslim Ulama and the Christian clergy should be discussing the modalities of dealing with dislocation of lives by those who are widowed, orphaned or who fled from their ancestral lands for fear of dear life. Looking at the calamity from purely a religious/ ethnic prism won’t be of help to anyone. We should be thinking of ways to force the government into making public the reports of the various committees set up since the breakdown of law and order in Plateau state in 2001 and where a White Paper is ready, it should be implemented. Whoever is implicated should be prosecuted in accordance with the laws of the land. So many committees have been empanelled to investigate the many crises that have erupted in the life of this administration, but none has seen the light of the day. Antagonists of the convocation of a national conference (whatever its nomenclature) usually wave the bogey about the conference leading to the break-up of the country as we know it. But if Nigeria is going to scatter into 36 countries and then peace will reign, so be it. Once we have 36 countries, we may learn to live with each other after overcoming the initial teething problems of infants. The journalistic hooliganism exhibited these days was seen by our parents in the 60s with the likes of Nelson Ottah leading the show. If it is the break-up of Nigeria that will stop this nonsense, then I am for it. |