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Stemming The Jos Bloodbath …Nod For The C-In-C’sMilitary Option
At long last, President Goodluck Jonathan, last Monday,discarded the kid-gloves he had been using to tackle security concerns in Nigeria particularly, the near endless, wanton killings on the once peaceful Plateau, by ordering, the Army to battle architects of the senseless ‘war’ in Jos.
Before drafting the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petinrin to take full charge of the security situation, countless innocent lives of defenseless men, women and children had been wasted in blizzard degrees that actually questioned the competence of the Commander-in-Chief to protect lives and properties in the land.
In the last three weeks alone, more than 100 persons were killed in a renewed orgy of insane bloodletting following disagreement over a praying ground, with an even more dangerous likelihood of prompting fresh killings in reprisal attacks. Infact, to state that the once very warm ambrosia of Jos is now totally gone and replaced by horror, deaths, weeping and wailing is to state it mildly.
Frankly, Jos has become an atomic community at constant war with itself, and with very little or nothing known as to why the bloodbath can never abate, or why nothing has been or can be done about similar acts of moral depravity that tend to diminish the true value of human life, to those of poisonous files that must be annihilated, as speedily as the architects of war deem necessary.
On March 22, last year, this column had warned against the familiar choice of sweeping under the dusty carpet, similar mayhem on Sunday, March 7, 2008 in which more than 350 people, mostly Christians were massacred, Nigerians were told of some arrests made with a promise of early trials. Titled, In This Place Of Horror, that work not merely warned of more killings, but also attempted a chronicle of earlier bloodletting which attracted little or no action, and which apparently served as a potent incentive for even more senseless killings, destruction and desecration of a Christian’s day of worship.
That work recalled, that between September 7 and 17, 2000, when the first cases of ethno-religious riots occurred in Jos, in which more than 1,000 persons were killed, not a single soul has, to date been punished for such inhumanity to fellow humans.
Naturally, because none had been held accountable for such crimes, barely four years later in 2004, the Plateau boiled again over clashes in Yelwa, where more than 500 persons were reportedly killed. At that time, the best, then serving Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo did was to declare a state of emergency.
Expectedly, since the 500 lives earlier lost did not result in the punishment of even one culprit, hiding under a laughable excuse of council election disputes, the same traditional masterminds of the near recurrent Jos mayhem struck less than a year after, claiming in that action as many as 700 lives. There again, nothing tangible was done by government. Don’t forget, in late January, last year another minor dispute over a plot of land had reportedly claimed 350 lives, according to government figures, although independent national tabloids variously quoted between 600 and 650 deaths.
On Monday, May 24, of the same year, this column again ventured another reminder of the need to tackle decisively, the seemingly intractable chain of bloodbath on the Plateau. Titled, Lest We Forget …Whither Jos Murderers?, this column wrote, in spite of the countless deaths that rendered human life worthless “those expected to act have done nothing even after the Ajibola Commission had, infact, investigated the matter and submitted its report, in which very influential politicians and members of the Obasanjo Presidency were indicted.
It was killings of these nature and government’s seeming helplessness in checking the frequent ethno-religious disturbances in parts of the North, that might have pushed, the now embattled, Libyan strongman, Col. Muammar Gadaffi, into suggesting the break-up of Nigeria along religious lines, as was the case between India and Plakistan”.
As would be expected, all, especially, those that Nigerians depended upon to act fast in halting the ring of killings but chose silence instead, at once, united to condemn Gadaffi in true or pretentious love of a country, whose unity they choose to hate and love at will for varied reasons: love, only when they have, in their grip, political power, and hate, when they are without it.
Daily, it is increasingly becoming clearer, that most of the killings are driven by political and ethno-religious sentiments often master-minded by those who found in divisions across such lines, their own arrival at the centre of political renown. That, without doubt, explained successive governments’ reluctance to addressing, in a lasting manner, the fluctuating fortunes of Jos and elsewhere.
It is in this light that Jonathan’s option of a better organized and more credible Military presence shall be seen as the first, just a first step. But it is not enough and never shall be, because unless and until the real masterminds and their faceless sponsors are brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others, Jos can never be Jos again.
That is why President Jonathan must not allow himself to be fooled by the temporary, even phoney peace Jos has experienced between Monday and now. It is, methinks, the peace of the grave-yard which Jos has been familiar to after every bloodbath and resultant half-measures, in the name of interventionists security moves. It is also the reason many are not enthusiastic about this.
Human rights activist, Gad Peter Shameki captured it most aptly when he said last Thursday, that he did not believe something exciting was in the President’s directive, because, according to him, “the military have been on ground on the plateau since 2008. I am made to understand that the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF) takes directives from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). So I really don’t see anything new or exciting about the whole action. However, I am in full support of anything that will give peace to the Plateau.”
That peace will come, not just because of the presence of the Army, because worse atrocities had been committed under the nose of soldiers watching on the city for years. What is indeed required, like the This Day editorial of Sept 14, 2011 and My Agony of May 24,2010 clearly suggested. Titled, “The Killing Field Called Jos,” the This Day piece, like My Agony’s, titled, Lest We Forget …Whither Jos Murderers, captured the thinking of the government and people of Plateau State and warned that unless and until, “those who have constantly been indicted in the different panels’ reports are brought to book and a serious reconciliation initiated, the situation in Plateau may not have been addressed as such”.
Such a step requires a stronger political will and respect for the sanctity of human life to actualize, because, Jos is what it is today not so much for wont of the right ideas to arrive at a just end, it has instead been for reluctance of successive governments to hurt political friends and allies and risk losing loyal political fellowship in power, no matter now criminally minded such loyalists may be.
President Jonathan must make the clear difference by giving the Plateau people and their government the much needed presidential support by ensuring that they pursue the legal process needed to identify, try and punish all those who either directly or indirectly support the killings and destruction of property.
To achieve that would require also the dusting of various reports by panels of enquiry that at one time or another investigated the cases of mayhem that in recent years became a recurring circle, identify all those indicted and then implement all reasonable recommendations duly adopted by the various government white papers, thus far issued.
The only way to make this new process work, or at least wear the semblance of credibility, is for the Commander-in-Chief to ensure that there indeed, are no sacred cows in the whole hug and that justice is served for the good and well-being of the living.
Those who express pessimism about the process are entitled to it, going by the disturbing antecedents of the past. That without doubt, also places on President Jonathan an even greater burden to deliver, because for now, his scorecard on superintending security challenges in the land, methinks, is below average.
My Agony is that there are still, within the security forces, some fifth columnists who are out to frustrate every effort at ensuring lasting security, in the false belief that their true economic survival can never be assured except through unrest of the Jos kind. And for that, they would do any and everything to ensure that even when the bird is slaughtered, some of its feathers must remain. So they’ll one day become birds, more dangerous birds. Just for their survival.
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.