Tuesday 9 March 2010

Jos


Heyy blogsville,
I am sure you are all impressed by how accurate my oscar nominations were, I was really happy! I guess I have impeccable/critically acclaimed view of movies! I am feeling myself right now!

Anyway onto grimmer topics, I am sure you have all heard about the unfortunate events that have been taking place in Jos. About 500 villagers were massacred by Muslim herdsmen, revenging the killing of about 200 Christians that happened earlier in January. I was at work yesterday when it came on CNN, and as soon as I saw Nigeria on the news, a feeling of dread swept over me, What have my people done again ohh!
I was saddened by the news, but I was more angry. These days, most news about Nigeria tends to anger me.

My friends no better than to mention the word "Yaradua" in front of me, because I will get so upset. A country without a visible leader, who has supposedly been in the country for weeks now, but whom NO ONE, not even the V.P has set eyes on or even spoken to, shit like this only happens in a country like ours, where the people have no say in the affairs of their government.........arrrghhhhh, am already getting worked up....

















I read this article called Jos:A Crisis triggered by inequality, which I think explains the orgins of the crisis really well. Jos is apparently an acronym for “Jesus our Saviour" representing the origins of the Plateau capital as a Christian state.
"the origins of the Jos — a former enclave for colonial missionaries, and its geographic location — aptly described by some as a de facto fault line separating Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north from its mainly Christian south, is partly responsible for the mishaps"

Firstly, I think the governor should be suspended, because he has clearly shown his inapptitude and inability to perform deal with this crisis. It has not even been 8 weeks since the last conflict. Curfew, military and all that crap are obviously not working, so unless he can come up with more constructive short term solutions, he should resign.

But this is just a short term remedy. The conflicts will never stop unless the whole issue of original indigens vs settlers can be solved. I have been to Jos before and have a number of friends from there, and it seems the Hausas are the elite there, and hold most of the power, while the original Jos christians have no say in the running of the government.
Or at least this is how it is percieved. This inequality or its perception, have to be solved for there be to be any hope of peace. This will take years of socio-economic adjustments and more importantly promotion of a sense of unity amongst both ethnic/religious groups. Making them realise that its been too long for any of them to try and claim a separate sense of identity. This will all come with education and poverty alleviation, but that is something that we cannot obviously wait for at the pace we are going.

This solution can be applied to the whole of Nigeria. The way so much is based on your "state of origin" will continue to divide us. We are divided into so many niche groups based on states, religion, language and the million and one sub-cultures. Until we all realise that we are all Nigerians first, and then everything else later we will never move forward as a country.

Or fuck it, maybe like my dad has been saying, its time for us to all divide, cut our losses, know that we have tried this whole one Nigeria thing and it has failed miserably.

You guys decide.

But I wonder how many more people have to be massacred before we get our act together.


xoxo
Miss B

8 comments:

  1. Hey Miss b,
    Yeah i am wholeheartedly with you on this issue especially since it is in the north. However, i will have to disagree with you on the Hausas being the elites there or being the original inhabitants. They aren't the original settlers there, there are tens of other tribes who are inhabitants before the migration of the Hausas down there. And yes, the government could be suspended, but how much of a say does a governor have if a group of people decide that the massacre in Jos is going to be their objective of the season. I do believe that certain political elites use these inter-religious and inter-ethnic riots to their benefit. One may tend to disagree with this fact, but that fact is there. An example would be the riot of Kano in 2004. I was there, and that was a planned genocide by the powers that be in that state. Point aside, Yes that issue of original inhabitants vs settlers needs to be solved. I mean, tell me why can't we just be Nigerians? Why can't i refuse to inhabit my origin state of Adamawa and peacefully live in Kano till death comes my way without feeling like ann outsider? Why can't be claim patriotism not on a microscopic ethnic level but also on a national level regardless of origin or religion? Meeeehhhhnnn it seems like say na lonnnngggg thinggggg for us to all get on the same plain field of open-mindedness in that country especially when the powers that be would love to keep manipulating the ignorance to their favor.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have always argued that the problem of religion or tribalism has come too long a way to get an easy solution. People have to be re-educated and re-oriented. People need to understand what fighting for a nation mean instead of fighting for land, religion or tribe. Above all, leadership is what calls issues like this to deck. Albeit, our leaders in Nigeria are no where to be found. They can't even deal with their own issues talkless of the nation's.

    Miss B, just like you, I am always ashamed and embarrassed at the mention of Nigeria in conjunction with ridiculous news, such as this. They often kill my joy and dry up wells of motivation in me for the day. All we can do is to keep our dear nation in prayers. Take her to our knees relentless. I know God's ears are not to heavy neither are His hands to short to save. He will come and save us...

    - LDP

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know what to say about this violence... its surreal..Just lost my friend. funny right?when I just spoke to him..
    please visit helpnigeria.blogspot.com
    Thanks
    www.askchacha4free.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. GOD SAVE US ALL. TAT ALL I CAN SAY.

    ReplyDelete
  5. just stumbled on ur blog today. the Jos situation is just really sad bcos truly and honestly no one seems to know what to do. this was how it started in Afghanistan, do we need another country to come tell us how to run ours??? its just very depressing and those responsible are soul-less. i was actually watching the Christian Purefoy interview and some ppl were like its not a religious issue but has to do with land, and i'm like does that make it any different? sigh

    anyways ur oscar predictions were on point. congrats! i thot it was amazing that Sandra Bullock won a Razzie the same weekend, now she can display them side by side :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is really sad, to imagine it coming from your own people, Nigeria needs Christ and prayers, this is so sad, killing innocent children, when will Naija truly change....hope all is well with you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. what i can't understand is how other cities like Lagos manage to avoid flare ups like this...
    while other places like kaduna, kano, kogi and jos get dragged into a my land/my religion/my tribe

    ReplyDelete
  8. Divide ke? How the heck can the North survive without the South's Oil?

    ReplyDelete