Note: Contents too long and is wholly the opinion of the author. (Readers discretion)

Preamble

The 2-day presidential visit which among other landmark activities accorded Plateau people across all works of life the opportunity of interacting with President Muhammadu  Buhari in a town hall meeting aroused arguments and submissions mostly hinged on individual sentiments and few concerns. The visit did not only keep opposition dragging their feet to grasp a reasonable basis for antagonism, ranging from the correctness of naming the hitherto unnamed gateway into the city “MUHAMMADU BUHARI WAY”,  to the “Renting of crowds to welcome Mr. President, to the commissioning of ” abandoned” or “uncompleted projects” etc… It unfortunately enchant and defiled the morals of Youths and some few psychologically unstable elders who suddenly have crowned themselves the hub of heedfulness to the plight of the vulnerable villagers been massacred serially in Bokkos, Riyom, Bassa and Barkin Ladi. As if not enough that they continuously insult the guts of “Plateau Elders” to blindly “speak truth to power”, some of the most morally deteriorated ones went into attacking revered personalities who’s track records speaks nothing short of genuine love and sincere commitment to the well being of the ordinary Plateau Man.

While we all regret, reject and Condemn in the strongest possible terms the incessant attack of Farmers in the geographically detached areas of Plateau State (may their souls and the souls of all Faithfull’s Departed in the Mercy of God Rest in Peace Amen), I personally share a distinct stand from the point of those who argue that there is no peace in Plateau State. Thus, the silence on issues bordering on the pockets of attacks we are witnessing in the state was strategic in our journey to a holistic and a lasting peace. It is also unpropitious that the lady-luck of those innocent villagers have been hijacked by political gladiators in solidifying their grounds to assault and insult the present administration in the state in spite of the huge successes recorded in the area of peace and confidence building within the last few years of its existence.

If only those villagers could get half the social media warriors drumming their straits to physically help defend them against those devil incarnates, our fate would have been less ill.

The Peace we celebrated… (my analogy).

Peace has always been among humanity’s highest values – for some, supreme. Yet, we agree little on what is “PEACE”

Meanings of “peace” function at different levels; it’s hater define, apply and accept it within a preemptive and primitive purview, while it’s lover within a theory or cognitive framework which may perhaps vary in perspective and approach. However, fundamentally, peace is opposed to or an opposite of antagonistic conflict, violence, or war.

Peace to a sociological, financial or political beneficiary of conflict is hard and absolute, which only give room to bridge and subsequently, conflict. But to the humane, peace is relative which give room to improvement and subsequently, permanent peace!

For the pass , Plateau State has recurrently been on the news for the very wrong reasons, the land which was known as the home of peace and tourism was erupted by violence and literally was turned to be the melting point of the entire nation’s ethnic and religious crisis. We passed through a time when Joseph would kill Abdullahi in Jos because Nasiru gruesomely murdered Ezekiel in Kano, a time when every attack on a Mosque in the East would be reprise by an attack on a Church in Jos… Efforts by successive governments did little or no good in taming this untoward act of bloodshed. From my perspective, this wasn’t unconnected with the distrust and dissatisfaction of the ferocious parties with the state government – a result of their ineptitude.

In 2008, At a time when the city center was sitting on the edge of a double edged sword, the gatekeeper selfishly slide us to the side of political correctness by first defiling all security cautions to conduct an election that left the state sniffing the smoke of it’s citizens and economic fortunes, and subsequently imposing his kinsman who’s civic right of Local government leadership was residual in Jos South on the people of Jos North which further rooted deep hatred and mutual suspicion amongst its citizens across religious and ethnic lines. This spread across the state, thus, making it a shadow of itself.

The integrity of our aged long slogan “home of peace and tourism” was dragged in the mud when two high ranking sons of the state (a serving Senator and a serving member of the State House of Assembly) were gruesomely murdered by up to date “unknown gunmen”, hence, the first time we heard that some “gunmen” are “unknown”.

The most devastating genocide to have ever happened on our land was right under the nose of the sentry, when more than 500 people were brutally slaughtered in Dogo  Nahawa…The series of attacks and reprisals left all of us walking around with our lives in hand, knowing that we could be victim of circumstance.

In addition to the lives lost, economic activities suffered huge setback as firms and investors from far and near reads not opportunities about Jos on the pages of dailies, but to count the number of lives being killed on a daily basis while they drive their way out to invest their fortunes elsewhere.

Mutual suspicion was at a point institutionalized when some places were proudly referred to as “no go area” for different people of different divide.

Today, the narrative has not only changed, but improved tremendously as well. Regardless of the weight and length of argument anyone would want to put up, there is:

1. High reduction in mutual suspicion in and around Jos.
2. Near zero reprisal/collateral attacks which was largely a result of lack of confidence in the sincerity of government to tackle conflict situations.
3. Complete Eradication of Boko Haram Attack in Jos
4. Complete Demystification of the so called no go area in Jos…

All of these didn’t just happen overnight, it took deliberate and decisive action by the present government in the state through the establishment of proactive institutions and above all, putting a character that’s all accommodating and fair to all. If this is not worth celebrating, then we do not appreciate our gains and it will be difficult for us to strategize and expand the serenity of our peaceful coexistence to the borders.

It is gain saying that the incessant attacks going on is not a creation of any form of irresponsibility by the state government like we had in the past, it is a menace that has a national dimension, thus, suggestive panacea to tackling such issues are best delivered privately and not publicly.

The road map to peace was a STRATEGIC DOCUMENT that would not have been more timely lunched than the occasion of the president’s visit. Perhaps the document contain an explicit method of tackling the sidelines attack which is not peculiar to Plateau State and spelt out clearly what is expected of the Federal Government in putting a stop to this cancerous invasion. No wonder it was “strategic” and indeed strategically handed over to the President. Being stakeholders in the development of the strategic document, Raising issues that belittles the document would have been that our elders have not understudy the dynamics of our journey through hardest time to a hard time.. We were not like this, if we have been able to get through those days, The benefit of hindsight and wisdom would compel any right thinking person to put up a dolorous smile and later look inward to consolidate.

Therefore, only emotionally driven, politically inspired and morally run-down persons would libel our parents for exhibiting a high level of wisdom.

Lastly,

With the sincere hope that Plateau will rise against the attack of “unknown gunmen”, citizens must do well by not politicizing, or predicating security issues on emotions. Lets learn to keep quiet if we don’t get the crux of someone’s action or inaction. It is said that what an elder sees while sitting, a child wouldn’t see even if he climbs the tallest of all trees.

Lesson: PRACTICAL PROBLEMS DEMANDS PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS… Not some INCONSEQUENTIAL  social media noise.

I leave you with this… :

“For Mercy has a human heart,

Pity a human face,

And Love, the human form divine,

And Peace, the human dress”

Redress your peace….

-William Blake: “The Divine Image” Songs of Innocence

Shalom!

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opinion: Timdi Nkat- plateau peace- A Dolorous Smile to Consolidate