Re

Jos: Reps Demand Truth Commission

Adamu Muh’d Usman

“ Let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widows and the orphans to do all which may achieve and cherish a first and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations” ---Abraham Lincoln. US President (1809 -1865)

A commission or Panel can best be described as a group of knowledgeable people, with skills or specialist who have been chosen to give advice or opinions on a particular subject or issue. In other words panel is a group of people who are chosen to listen to parties (of two) for a case in a court of law or otherwise and to decide the result.

A commission can treat local, National and Internationally issues respectively for societal changes, political stability, mutual understanding, genuine reconciliation, peaceful co-existence and National Development among others, but some or most of Commission of Inquiries or panels, lack focus, ardour and commitment to find out a lasting and permanent solutions to so many crises in this country most especially that of Jos, in Plateau state.

Actually the recommendation by the House of Representatives asking the Federal Government to establish a TRUTH and reconciliation committee that would reconcile the warring parties in Plateau state to avoid re occurrence of crisis in the state. Also from its part, the Senate also asked the Federal Government led by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to publish and implement all the reports on the various crises in Jos and to also implement their recommendations; it is indeed a well-come idea and a good development. But some thing should be done first with sincerity of focus and purpose, which is the selection of the members of the commission. God fearing, honest, dedicated, unbiased and selfless people should be chosen for this task.

My reason for making the above appeal was nothing rather than, some or most commissions of inquiries set by government to look into issues bothering this country for peace and progress of this nation, they don’t normally or most times do a good work and the right thing. The commission of inquiries or panels that were organised use to be one sided, parochial and lack merits. They use to sell their conscience, because they allowed themselves to be used to satisfy some group or someone’s selfish interest, they also use to betray the trust they were entrusted with, couple with their experience, caliber and past records in their various life endeavours e.t.c, Yes, they are expected to come up with balanced and unbiased judgement. Alas! That is on the contrary.

The point in time, since we are in democratic dispensation, everything supposes to be through democratic process that is fair deal among the citizens. To this end, I appeal to people of Plateau State to co-operate with Federal government commission of enquiry to open up to give sincere and useful information that will help in getting an authentic data and conduct a balance investigation by contacting both side to say their own side of story not like not the other commissions or panels Please! that will make their report a fair and unbiased one.

Yes, citizen must speak out against injustice, repression, in equity, bias, nepotitism, tribalisism and other imbalances in the society, which are aggravated by bad leadership across the length and the breadth of any society or nation.

Sincerely speaking, since the citizens have agreed to recognised and vote for their leaders and pay respect and loyalty to them, the leaders must reciprocate by providing services to the greater number of the people in the society. I also appeal to people or citizen, that ethnicity affiliation or religious back ground or selfish interest should not be a yard stick to deprive, humiliate victimise others or bring disunity among the citizens or disturb the peace and progress of the nation.

May God give us the ability to the right things, in the time and for the right purpose. May He also brings a lasting and permanent peace in Jos and Nigeria as a whole. Ameen.