Nigerian expats blame politicians for violence in Jos

Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan dissolved the federal executive cabinet after its weekly meeting recently.

Jonathan, who was appointed the acting president on February 9 following the prolonged illness of President Umar Yar’Adua since November 2009, has not been able to curb sectarian violence between Muslim and Christian groups that has left over 500 people dead in Jos, the Plateau State’s capital.

The crisis, being given a religious colour, is in fact, a conflict between the Berom natives and the Hausa ‘settlers’ in and around Jos over political and property rights.

Many feel that the Jos crisis is giving Nigeria, Africa’s second largest economy, a negative image in the international community.

Some even believe that the crisis may plunge the country into another civil war if not promptly managed.

Qatar Tribune’s Ikoli Victor and Fortune Ulu talked to some Nigerian expatriates to find out what they feel about the crisis and what is the way out.

Excerpts:

GODFREY AWINORON

This cycle of violence could have been stopped if the perpetrators of this heinous crime were caught and justice was served.

What is required now is good policing and quick security response because the aggrieved will definitely seek revenge.

Moreover, identifying real and potential mob leaders and monitoring their movements will help prevent future violence, while the social and political dimension of this issue should be discussed.

MOHAMMED IBRAHIM

It is absurd that in almost all the cases of violence in the North, it is the Muslims that are always blamed.

It has allowed people of other faiths to cover up their acts of violence and assume the role of victims.

Muslims are statistically a minority in the plateau, so it is logically impossible to think a minority could risk inviting the wrath of a majority.

The Jonathan government must bring all warring parties to the negotiating table to find the way out.

MUTIU ADEDEJI OLAYIDE

The number of maiming and killing of innocent lives in Jos is rising by the day.

If we fail to do something now, we may slip into abyss of hopelessness and destruction.

The police and the Army that have been deployed in the area have been accused of taking sides with either party involved in the violence.

Therefore, erring officers must be brought to book.

The federal government must scrap the different inquiry committees and set up a reconciliation committee to broker peace.

ISMAEEL BALOGUN

The Jos situation is unfortunate.

In order to solve the problem permanently, the government, religious bodies and non-governmental organisations need to work together.

The government should provide jobs for the youth while religious bodies and NGOs should help in educating the masses about the repercussions of the incident.

BODE LAWOYIN

The common denominator in the Jos crisis — as in most sectarian crises in Nigeria — is the inequality in the society.

Religion is just a mere facilitator in the conflict.

Millions of executive committees can be commissioned to investigate and international agencies called in to pontificate and proffer solutions, but peace will not return unless the inequality in the society is addressed.

BANKOLE ADIO

The crisis in Jos is more political than religious.

The political differences and misunderstanding among the people of the Plateau State should be settled before a lasting solution can be found to the crisis.

ABDULLAH AKINDELE

It is actually a conflict between power and wealth.

It is beginning to have a religious connotation now.

I will blame the government for its failure to deal with those who started the violence late last year.

If the government had dealt with them firmly, nobody would have gone for revenge.

To avoid reoccurrence, the government should look into the root cause of the problem and bring the warring parties to the talks’ table.

ADE AJAYI

I believe that we need a national dialogue in which all stakeholders like the former presidents, ex-heads of state, traditional rulers, National Assembly members and other public opinion leaders sit together and think of the way forward.

We must do something as fast as possible.

We should not allow things to slide into a more serious problem.

JAMES OKPOAGU

The government should assert itself and do something quickly.

People who have been pushed to the wall for a long time are expressing their frustration.

Intelligence gathering should be given a priority.

If people are not sure about the security of lives and property, all the campaigns about foreign direct investment will come to nothing.

JOHNSON ADU

The leaders of the Plateau State have brought shame on themselves by failing to curb the violence.

I would like to urge the federal government to set up a rehabilitation committee in order to address important issues in the state.

The issue of relocation of people or the creation of a state should be discussed and implemented.

We must rehabilitate the people by paying good compensation to them, especially those survivors whose relatives have been innocently killed.