THERE is a strong indication that the Presidential Advisory Committee on Jos Crisis set up by President Goodluck Jonathan has completed its assignment and billed to submit its report to the President this week with far reaching recommendations on how to end the sin assembly of killings in Plateau State.

A source close to the Committee chaired by Chief Solomon Lar and other eminent citizens of the State, revealed that the three-month assignment was quite tasking considering the composition of the committee made up of people of diverse backgrounds and ethnic affinities.

It was gathered that the Committee revealed that the contentious issues bordering on the ownership of Jos North local government, its creation, non-implementation of the past reports of the commission of inquiries into the previous crises in the state dominated the report of the Committee.

Sunday Tribune learnt that the Committee discovered that the indigeneship question was one of the problems that led to the recurring crises in Jos and observed that the matter had been settled by all the past reports of the Judicial Commission of Inquiries and the Plateau Peace Conference Report of 2004 gazetted by the State Government during the six months of General Chris Ali (rtd).

It was gathered that the Committee recommended that the Federal Government and the National Assembly should expedite action to give practical effect to the constitutional provision regarding citizenship rights as enshrined in the constitution.

It was learnt that the Committee deliberated extensively on the creation of the Jos North Local Government in 1991 by the administration of the former President Ibrahim Babangida in furtherance of its policy that every local government that had two federal constituencies be split into two.

It was learnt that the Committee observed that it was created by military fiat and brought with it problems of suspicion, adding that some stakeholders in Jos North were not consulted before the creation of the local government.

The committee recommended that the creation of Jos North should be revisited by the Federal Government in consultation with the relevant stakeholders and communities, to create additional local government taking into cognisance the tradition, geographical contiguity and affinity of the area.

The Advisory Committee also observed that the following reports on the past crises in the state had not been implemented: White Paper on Justice Fiberisima Reports, 1994, White Paper on Justice Nikki Tobi Report, 2001, Plateau State Peace Conference Report, 2004, Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into inter-Communal conflicts in Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Taraba States, Report of the Presidential Peace Initiative Committee on Plateau State, 2004 and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Jos Civil Unrest of 2008.

It was discovered that non-implementation of the reports and the role played by some individuals and groups indicted  had been the reason for frequent occurrence of crises in the state and therefore recommended that the reports should not only be released but should be processed and implemented to the letter.

The Committee however, added that adopting the option of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission might enhance peace process, adding that it would provide an avenue to reinforce peace process in Plateau State and complement the gains of the recently concluded peace conference.

http://www.tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/news/1232-jos-crisis-fgs-committee-blames-ibbrecommends-truth-commission