From Peter Aware Azi, Jos
In an attempt to finding a lasting solution to the debilitating communal crises in Plateau State, the 8th Assembly shortly after its inauguration in June last year swung into action by setting up a Special Security Committee.
The committee carried out the assignment and submitted its report on the floor of the House presided by the Speaker, Rt, Hon. Peter Ajang Azi.
The report was read by the Chairman of the Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi.
The report that is expected to tackle the incessant crisis in the state read in part:
“Following the incessant and senseless attacks and counter-attacks particularly in communities within Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Mangu, Jos East, Langtang North, Langtang South, Wase and other affected Local Government areas of Plateau State resulting in wanton destruction of lives and properties, the committee was constituted during the 24th June, 2015 Plenary and was mandated to carry out an investigation into the incessant and senseless attacks and counter attacks vis-a-vis crises in various communities in Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local government areas which was later extended to Jos East, Mangu, Langtang North, Langtang South, Wase and other affected local government areas of Plateau state with the sole aim of restoring and maintaining peace in these localities.
“The committee was tasked with the responsibilities of ascertaining the history of the recent violent attacks in the affected local governments and identify the remote and immediate causes of the protracted attacks in Barkin Ladi, Riyom local government areas and by extension other affected local government areas of the State.’’
The committee was also charged with identifying the perpetrators and implications of the attacks in the affected local governments and make critical observations and relevant recommendations to the legislature, the judiciary and the executive for implementation.
The committee also highlighted the methodology it used to achieve the peace mission in the state.
According to the chairman of the committee, members obtained first-hand information from various respondents and parties involved in the crises through oral submissions and observations made during visits and interfaces with the parties involved.
He added that the committee relied on groups, authorities and sourced for verbal information particularly from the Chairmen of Barkin Ladi, Riyom and Mangu Local Governments as well as the management committee chairmen of Jos East, Langtang South and Langtang North.
Others are the management committee chairmen of Wase Local Government Council, Kanam, Bokkos, traditional rulers from across the affected local government areas, religious bodies such as Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasir Islam (JNI) in the affected local government areas and community leaders, youths, women and opinion leaders.
The Deputy Speaker said that there were also town hall meetings held separately and jointly to interface in addition to wide consultations and visitations to the affected areas and security formations in the state covering all the affected areas.
“There was also invitations and close door meetings and hearings with security agents including Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Police, the Department of State security (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps respectively, ” Gagdi said.
To avert incessant crisis in the state, the committee did not left any stone unturned as secondary methods and procedures and written submissions were obtained from documents of the Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) Sector 7, Barkin Ladi Local government and Sector 9 in Riyom local government area and Sector 8 in Mangu.
According to Gagdi, the committee also relied on secondary data obtained from previous reports and documentations of the Jos Peace Dialogue Forum, 2013, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), 2013 and 2014, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and Nigerian Stability and Reconciliation Programme’s (N SRP) Reports.
The committee, however, observed that the attacks in Plateau state stemmed from the general security malfunction, ethno religious in North Central in particular and Nigeria in general, from time past. The state had experienced unresolved violent crises since the early colonial times. But the contemporary crises that have direct bearing on the current crises was the April 1994 crises in Jos metropolis.
“On the 12th of April 1994, at about 7am, the civil disturbances occurred in Jos metropolis.
“ The riot broke a record of peace and tranquility that had existed for a while and it had some impact on the movement of people to specific locations,’’ Gagdi said.
Both the submissions of security agents, the invited representatives to the town hall meetings and report to the committee at one point or the other acknowledged that the 1994 crises was one of the remote causes of the successive crisis particularly the 2001 crisis”.
The then military administrator set up a commission of inquiry to find out the root cause of the 1994 disturbance, in order to recommend ways of preventing future reoccurrence.
The panel was constituted to include Hon. Justice J. Aribiton Fiberesima (Rtd), Chairman,; Major D. J. M. Igah, member; Squadron Leader M. B. Usman, member; Alhaji I. D. Muhammad, member; Mr. T. Didel, member; Mrs. S. O. Aboki, member; Mr. P. P. Deshi, Secretary.
The commission toured the riot-torn areas among which was the Jos Main market which was later burnt on February 12, 2002; the Gada Biyu market and the Izala Headquarters as well as a school along Rukuba Road.
The main objective of the panel was to establish the remote and immediate causes of the riot.
If the efforts of the latest committee was anything to go by, it is evidently clear that a roadmap to a peaceful Plateau is definitely in sight.