Moslem community fingers ex-minister, Rep over Jos crisis
From Isa Abdulsalami, Jos

THE immediate past Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Nakande Dasuki and Hon. Samaila Mohammed of the House of Representatives (Jos North/ Bassa Federal Constituency) have been fingered as masterminds of last November 28 sectarian crisis in Jos




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This was the submission of the indigenous Moslem community in old Jos Division to the Prince Bola Ajibola Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the causes of the crisis, which claimed hundreds of lives and property.

The community, which has its members drawn from six local council areas of the present Plateau North Senatorial District, further alleged that their members have never been recognised as Moslems by the Hausas in the state.

Speaking under cross-examination before the six-member commission, the spokesperson of the indigenous Moslem community, Alhaji Umaru Miango, noted that the November 28 mayhem was "carefully planned and executed by people who do not want peace in Plateau State."

While responding to a question from Charles Obishai, the commission's counsel, he said for long, there have been agitations by the Hausas particularly, who want to be recognised as indigenes of Jos North at all costs.

He regretted that recommendations by past probe panels of 1994, 1997 and 2001, all of which he claimed had indicted certain highly-placed persons, have been ignored by the powers-that-be.

According to him, the indigenous Moslems have continued to bear the brunt whenever a crisis erupted because they have always been treated as betrayers by their Moslem Hausas and no longer trusted by their Christian native brothers and sisters, all of whom allegedly attack them in an event of violent crisis.

He said as indigenous Moslems, they have no other home than Plateau State and when their places of abode are destroyed, they have no where to run to unlike the Hausas who usually relocate to their various states during such incidents.

He then suggested that to remedy the situation, there was need for the creation of additional three council areas out of the present Jos North, because the natives were against the 1991 creation which was purely against the aspirations of the natives.

As such, he insisted that those anomalies should be corrected in the interest of peace.

Also speaking, the spokesperson of the Berom Community in Jos North, Associate Professor, Thomas Baba Bingel, said when the Jos council area was split in 2001, the native Afizere, Anaguta and Beroms cried out because it was aimed at dividing them to the advantage of the Hausas.

The history lecturer of the University of Jos added that the use of religion and politics as major causes of conflicts was a camouflage used by the Hausas to divert attention and cover up their agenda to acquire the area at all costs.

Jos North, he maintained, belongs to Afizere, Anaguta and the Beroms, all of whom he stressed have various names to identify the area, even as he regretted that the colonial laws deprived the tribes the ownership of the area during the mining periods.

He said it would be unfair for anyone to say the Plateau people are not hospitable people because both Nakande and Hon. Mohammed are beneficiaries of the hospitality of the people who have considered them for election as members of House of Representatives and minister.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/feb/25/26.html

St.Funmi:

Moslem community fingers ex-minister, Rep over Jos crisis

Is it me alone who see many things wrong with this headline?