Jos crisis: The unending tournament with no winner, no trophy

Every life is sacrosanct. I condemn in totality all killings being perpetrated in every part of Plateau state in the name of ethnic, religious or political crisis.

Isn’t it enough for the unnecessary and barbaric bloodshed, bad history and the negative image created for the state in the eyes of other states and the international community at large?

My question to those ethnic and religious bigots who often inflame crisis in the state is; which medal have you won for your religion/ethnic group by killing innocent people? Is it gold, bronze or silver?

I ask again, as conflict merchant or entrepreneur, how much profit have you generated out of these crises that you have created as a result of your actions or inactions? Does the blood money make you to be the number one richest person in the world or in Africa, or Nigeria or even on the Plateau?

To those unscrupulous politicians, how many more people do you want to see killed in the name of winning sympathy and love of your fellow ethnic/religious group just to achieve your political and selfish interest?

The recent ugly incident that happened on Saturday, 14th August, 2021, where innocent travelers were waylaid and brutally killed along Rukuba road, off Gada-Biyu, in Jos North local government area of Plateau state, will continue to create a bad public relations image for the state and her citizens, both within and outside the country.

Unfortunately, this is coming at a time when the good and peace loving people of the state were enjoying a relative peace and businesses have started booming.

Building a lasting peace on the Plateau requires a lot of sincere commitment, not just from the state government or security agencies alone, the citizens have a greater role to play.

To begin with, the Plateau state government, hoodlums, miscreants, ethnic militias and other trouble makers who are fond of fomenting trouble in the state should be treated in the same language they understand, otherwise the vicious circle of violence will keep reoccurring and continue to hold the state to ransome.

Anyone arrested in connection with any crisis in the state, no matter his background or social status, should be charged to court for immediate prosecution to serve as deterrence to others and forestall possible reprisal.

The state government must start taking responsibility of any life lost as a result of crisis in the state, irrespective of their religious or ethnic background, since it is her constitutional responsibility to protect and safeguard the lives and property of every citizen, travelers passing through the state inclusive.

To security agencies, we commend you for your untiring services towards making sure that we live in peace, but we are advising that you do more particularly on intelligence gathering, prompt and proactive response to any security breach.

And finally the citizens, what would you stand to benefit by destroying what you can not create? God, the Almighty, created humans and make us into different nations and races so that we understand ourselves, but not to destroy one another.

If by any privilege your ethnic/religious group is the majority in community ‘A’, and you decided to unleash terror on the minority group, what do you think would happen in community ‘Z’ where your people are the minority, and the minority group you oppressed in your community are the majority there? Think twice my brothers and my sisters.

The task of keeping Plateau state safe and peaceful can never be achieved if we continue to hide the criminals among us. We must expose those unscrupulous elements who love nothing but violence.

Let us all try and tolerate, accommodate and respect each other’s belief, faith, identity and above all the humanity in us. It’s either we coexist together in peace, harmony, tranquility or we perish together as savages and fools.

The choice is ours!

Mohammed Bashir Musa,
Jos, Plateau state