|
Declaration Of State Of Emergency Is Imperative In Plateau State By Baban Iya Bala The incessant genocides in Plateau state, which started since 1999, led to loss of thousands of lives and teeming number of refugees (widows & orphans) especially in Bauchi state. The major ones occurred in 2001 and 2004, which led to suspension of the then Plateau state Governor and declaration of state of emergency. Yet in November 2008, a group of fascist led by Jonah Jang, the current Governor and his state government officials orchestrated ethno religious cleansing when youth protested their rigging of election. In the pogrom that followed about a thousand people lost their lives. Since a weak President was ruling the country, he only grumbled and left Jang to his devious ways. Jang even went ahead to set up a parallel committee to that of the President though the whole country knew he was a party to the problem. He and his officials preached a diabolical and wicked philosophy of apartheid where by Muslims and Hausa/Fulani should not hold political offices nor enjoy citizenship rights. Yet again on the 17th of January 2010, Jos was again engulfed in another killing spree. This time around, Jang did not give orders to security men to shoot his enemies; instead, murderous gangs in fake army uniforms just appeared from nowhere and orchestrated massacres, leaving wailing widows and orphans in refugee camps. In order to hide their crimes and prevent human rights groups from counting their dead victims they devised a savage way of hiding bodies by stuffing them in to wells. Jang and his state officials are trying to fool Nigerians in asking the Federal Government to investigate the fake soldiers. Every Nigerian knows that Plateau state has the highest number of retired soldiers and officers and the fake men in uniform could not come from Central African Republic, Chad or Sudan, but from Plateau state itself. Most of the retired soldiers in Plateau state are also Not Hausa /Fulani. This leaves us with the reality of Jang and his officials using retired soldiers from their tribesmen this time around to perpetrate crimes. The peculiarity of the crisis in Plateau state compared to other states is that in Plateau state, the Government has always being a party to the conflicts. It is unfortunate that the Plateau Fascists have reverted to their pagan savagery of slaughtering their perceived enemies and stuffing them in wells. The aim is very clear, they wish later on to fish out the skulls of their decomposed victims carve out the upper half and use it for drinking beer. It was a status symbol to drink beer with skulls among some tribes of Plateau state during the pagan days. Even Henry Barth a German Explorer in the service of the British Government during the 19th century noted the use of skull for drinking beer, as recorded in his book Travels & Adventures in West Africa.
The ethno religious cleansing in 2008 and 2009 has clearly shown that Jonah Jang is too cruel and irresponsible to be trusted to lead Plateau state at least in the 21st century. Since he would not choose the path of honour and resign, then Goodluck Jonathan should suspend Jonah Jang and impose the state of emergency in Plateau state to protect lives and property until the issue of citizenship is finally resolved. It was sadistic and irresponsible of the Senate President to refuse to support declaration of state of emergency with so much loss of lives and suffering just because of petty party interests.
Civil society groups should demonstrate in the Chambers of the Senate and Aso Rock until a state of emergency is established in Plateau state. There is need for Jang and his officials to be reported once again at the International Criminal Court, since no one has taken the responsibility of prosecuting him for the crimes he committed against humanity.
In conclusion, the leadership crisis created by the PDP starting with election riggings, stealing of the country’s wealth, decaying services, insecurity, assassinations and recurrent ethno religious cleansing( especially in Plateau state) has disintegrated and is on the verge of destroying the society. There is need for civil society groups to cooperate and salvage the country by insisting on state of emergency in Plateau state and implementing the constitutional provisions when the President of the country is incapacitated on health grounds. |