By Joseph Edegbo :
The Northern Zone of Ethnic Youth Nationalities as well as the Youth and Women Wings of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Plateau State Chapters, have advised the Plateau State Government against conducting the planned local government polls in Bassa and Jos North Local Government Areas
A statement jointly signed and issued by the groups accused the government of not only being insensitive to the plight of the people in these volatile areas but a betrayal .
The groups want the government to use the resources to rehabilitate and return displaced people back to their homelands instead of conducting the October 9 Local Government Council elections amidst agonies.
The statement is of view that it is not out of place to point out that Plateau people, especially those in Bassa and Jos North LGA are still mourning the dead and have not recovered from the pains and agony of their losses with very little done by the government in assuring and ensuring their security and safety is guaranteed.
” Let it be on record that it took immense pressure from all and sundry for the government to visit some affected victims and communities, yet government is planning what is a known recipe for yet another calamity.
“More worrisome is the fact that there is no clear plan by government to rehabilitate and return the displaced people back to their homes. We submit that this is the highest level of betrayal of the trust of the people and insensitivity to the times we are in.
” For how long shall Plateau citizens be subjected to this? Rather than conduct elections, we urge government to use those resources to rehabilitate and return displaced people back to their homelands, they demand.
They remind the State Government that Plateau people, especially the youths and women are watching keenly at what government is doing and will hold them accountable for every negative and detrimental action taken or planned against the good people of Plateau State saying that Silence is no longer golden.
HERE UNDER IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE
WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE BY PLATEAU STATE YOWICAN, WOWICAN AND ETHNIC YOUTH NATIONALITIES ( NORTHERN ZONE) ON MONDAY
4TH OCTOBER, 2021
1. The Plateau State Chapter of YOWICAN, WOWICAN of Christian Association of Nigeria and Northern Zone of Ethnic Youth Nationalities being responsible to the citizenry and the government wish to bare our minds on issues pertaining to good governance, Justice and peace . We are perplexed with the unfolding events in the state and the polity over several issues that we will be addressing with every sense of responsibility and seriousness.
2. The history of elections in Plateau State, particularly Jos North LGA has been very volatile characterised by crisis and unrests transforming into violent conflicts and disruption of civil activities. Sadly, this gets to be recovered painfully after alot has been wasted and destroyed. This usually necessity the appointment of LGA Management Committee Chairmen over the years.
3. It is on record that Jos had been relatively stable since the 2015 general elections, yet the government didn’t conduct LGA elections in Jos North, Jos South, Riyom and Barkin Ladi for the reasons of insecurity. However, between the close of 2020 to August 2021, we have had resurgence of insecurity and massive destructions of lives and properties followed by the imposition of 24 hours curfew just few months ago which was only relaxed to now between 10pm to 6am. This is indicative of the fact that normalcy has not yet returned to the troubled LGAs of Bassa, Jos South, Riyom and Jos North. The most recent of the ugly incidences are experiences in Bassa and Jos North LGAs in August 2021 in the manner that the University of Jos had to close down all academic activities with only plans of resumption on Saturday 9th October, 2021 as the campus is still under tension and no visible presence of stationed security personnel. Unfortunately the said resumption date coincides with the day of the LGA elections and this may expose returning students to danger.
4. Given the foregoing, it is therefore surprising that the government is planning to conduct election in these volatile LGAs of Bassa and Jos North. We are in awe as to the insensitivity of government considering that we are just recovering from the effects of the recent security breach. We have noted the recent Press Conference by the indigenous tribes in Jos North LGA namely, the Anaguta, Afizere and Berom, which raised some some concerns and apprehension at the government’s planned elections particularly in Jos North and Bassa LGAs. We advise the government to resist the temptation of being insensitive to the plight of Plateau people and refrain from any attempt of conducting Local Government Elections in Jos North and Bassa LGAs for the time being until there is much more stable peace and calm.
5. Between 2015-2018 when these LGAs were relatively peaceful, the government in her wisdom chose to appoint Management Committee Chairmen for the affected LGAs rather than conduct elections. One wonders why elections are planned to be conducted at a time when security situation has worsened.
6. It is not out of place to state here that Plateau people, especially those in Bassa and Jos North LGA are still mourning the dead and have not recovered from the pains and agony of their losses with very little done by the government in assuring and ensuring their security and safety is guaranteed. Let it be on record that it took immense pressure from all and sundry for the government to visit some affected victims and communities, yet government is planning what is a known recipe for yet another calamity. More worrisome is the fact that there is no clear plan by government to rehabilitate and return the displaced people back to their homes. We submit that this is the highest level of betrayal of the trust of the people and insensitivity to the times we are in. For how long shall Plateau citizens be subjected to this? Rather than conduct elections, we urge government to use those resources to rehabilitate and return displaced people back to their homelands.
7. The University of Jos community has recently released a circular to recall and regain academic activities after the recent shut-down necessitated by the unrest. Students are already planning to resume and return back to campus for academic activities but yet the government is planning to expose these innocent students and staff by conducting elections in the notorious Jos North LGA. Can the University community survive a second disruption, destruction and distabilization in quick succession? And the second, been deliberately inflicted and caused by government because of elections?
Is election more important than the security of the lives and properties of the same people for whom the so-called election is intended to benefit? Surely NOT; the presence of curfew in Jos North is even a worse indicator to the tale told by the government that there is sufficient Peace and calm in Jos North LGA to enable it conduct election thereat. Government should therefore consider the most volatile areas of Jos North and Bassa LGAs and remotely the areas of Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Riyom LGAs bearing in mind that these are city centre that link Plateau with most other states in Nigeria.
8. Addressing issues of ensuring good democratic governance, it is most unfortunate that another calamity is likely befalling Plateau State by the rape of the people’s voices to make a choice and decide who should govern them. A worst version of the encounter of the last Local Government elections is about to set sail on the 9th October, 2021.
9. We call on the government to take caution in an attempt to undermine the place of checks and balances and the responsiveness of Plateau people to agitate for their rights to good governance, equity and transparent leadership. The Plateau people especially the youths and women are watching keenly at what government is doing and will hold them accountable for every negative and detrimental action taken or planned against the good people of Plateau State. Silence is no longer golden.
10. We call on Plateau Elders, Church Leaders and all well meaning citizens to call on Government to retrace it’s steps in the light of issues addressed above as it thus appear that only civil pressure and sustained agitations hold sway on this government even when it deliberately insult the sensibilities of the average citizens who have not recovered from the recent unrest that has affected the Citizens.
We hope that government will be people oriented and allow reason to prevail in their quest to discharge programs that will benefit the people being governed.
Signed:
Dcn. Pharm. Markus Kanda Audu
Chairman, YOWICAN Plateau State
Amb.Mrs. Rhoda G. Jahota
Chairman, WOWICAN Plateau State
Comrade Song Muru
Chairman, Ethnic Youth Nationalities (Northern Zone)
