Those who were not born before September 7, 2001 had not enjoy the days of peace, harmony and tranquility on the Plateau.
These children grew up in divided house where everybody is demarcated within ethnic cycle and brainwashed within religion enclave to see other people as enemies.
While this is the same Plateau we used to eat together, we play together, work together as a family irrespective of any social differences. And the architectures, the planners and the conspirators of plateau crisis are not actually gaining anything out of this mess.
These evil people have successfully ventured unprofitable business by planting the seeds of religious intolerance and ethnic division in mindsets of an average plateau man using politics as a tool. They have manipulated every word to violence, every move to hatred and every day to ignominy. And today their handy is still echoing.
I used to ask, what was lacking in the Plateau when there was peace that some group of people could tend to desire crisis? In all my little research, I can’t find where violence brought good results anywhere anytime. Hate can never in anyway drive out hate likewise hate can never give hope for peace and prosperity.
The ugly side of the past is gradually coming back. But Mangu local government was very peaceful even at a time of incessant crisis. I wonder the magic they used to sustain peace throughout the ugly days of horror and sorrow between 2001 to 2016 until now when their son became Governor. Ethno-religious crisis in the past should serve as a lesson for all men of conscience because there was no victor, no vanquish. Nothing was achieved out of bloodshed apart from burden of regrets. Now the scar is rewound again, Mangu is on fire.
Alas, Politicians are like conflict merchants, they take advantage of bloodshed to deep-in their measuring devices on the emotional outpour of their followers. Senator Nepoleon Bali told Arise TV that Mangu attacks are politically motivated. Though, he didn’t elaborate but his party supporters outrightly took the message to sully political opponents. If the attack was actually Political, why villager’s mounting roadblocks leading to mangu town attacking passerbys who are not even supporting any party?
Hon Musa Bagos was reported to have advised Plateau residents… “It’s constitutional to defend yourselves”. These unguarded statements could only trigger more harm than solution. We have heard enough of political remarks without equatable actions.
Even Jonah Jang the Godfather of PDP couldn’t save Plateau state with disparaging utterances. Isn’t a big lesson to learn for his acolytes and stooges.? It’s in record the worst attack in the history of killings in Plateau happened on March 7, 2010 where 500 people were slaughtered in Dogo nahauwa a village near Du was as a result of Governor Jang’s communication mismanagement.
Jang also exacerbated an already fragile situation by asking people to defend themselves when he addressed Berom of Kakuruk village in Gashish district of Barki Ladi in July 2012.
This came barely two months after he told newsmen on May 11, 2012 that “I don’t know why God made me a Governor now”. This has been his way of addressing newsmen after every attack and counter attack in eight of incessant killings in the Plateau.
They have fun of making statement that suits their sentiment but they don’t have the wisdom to bring resolution and manage the anger. Good people of Plateau state are no longer interested in hearing Fulani are terrorists killing our people and taking over our lands. This is an old rhetoric. All we want to see is, holistic measures taken to curtail the menace and protect innocent people and their farms.
The repercussions of Mangu killings are in many faces; Mangu being the centre of commerce and agriculture could suffer eminent shortage of food and declination business activities. It’s a big challenge for Governor Mutfuwan at the moment to stand up and face the reality. Wrong is wrong whoever does it.
He should either follow the pathway of peace building and conflict resolution or he follows the footsteps of his Godfather. But the younger generation who haven’t test the good side of peace in the Plateau in the past should not allowed themselves to be used as tools of conflicts. It’s not too late to go back to the drawing board to rehabilitate the mindsets against ethic hatred and religious bigotry. Whoever thinks Plateau state will process with the current repugnance is also part of the problem.
Abu Maigoro
July 12, 2023
