As the Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission (PLASSIEC) concludes arrangement to conduct the most awaited Local Government Elections by February 2018 many issues have been raised, some truth and other fallacy of myth as to statues and reason why the cantre that attracts the magnet (Jos-north) is in such a theatre of complication, the issue is both simple and complicated:
a. Should elections be conducted in Jos-North considering the reason why past Administrations hold on, setting in place caretaker committees in order of Succession?
b. With a supposedly Hausa –Fulani (JASAWA) as Flag Bearer to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) this time round isn’t that tantamount to a political suicide on the side of the indigents (Berom, Anaguta and Afizere) owing to the precedence of the House of Assembly Elections and the House of Representatives Elections which saw the other side winning despite the number and place of indigents?
c. The Governor should just appoint a caretaker from the indigenes just like his predecessors, if not, it a clearance to the propaganda going round “Governor Lalong have negotiated to sell Jos North, we shall not take it!
d. The JASAWA need to be Chairman by all means in order to secure indigene certificates to make them citizens with full rights haven’t been a major issue for long in Jos North? Again the issue of land and no go area have heighten tension …because the areas occupy by the Jasawa cannot contain the growing population they need new settlement areas so with the political backup of one of their own in the Local Government such an ambition could be attain
e. Whereas many are indifferent to the effect of the outcome of the elections many sees it as a deciding factor in the history of Jos North local Government and the State but to others it is the threshold to sealed up the long years of waiting to be certify first class citizens.
To theorized the situation which is synonymous to the parable of the Elephant and the Blind men, John adams (1735-1826) the second president of America pointed out that among all nations the people were naturally divided into two sort “The Gentle Men and the Simple Men” The Gentlemen, being superior in abilities, education,& other advantages were therefore qualified to rule: whereas the later becomes the opposites. To subject this view within the context of our discuss I found the position of John Adams in many ways contradicting, citing the bi-polar political walls that exist between indigents mostly “Dominant Divided Christian” and the Hausa-Fulani (JASAWA) a |”United Minority”, mostly Muslim. Suffice to say that, Politics of religion and ethnicity plays a cardinal role in Africa, Nigeria Plateau and Jos North is not an exception to that laid down political heritage in primitive Nigerian Democracy.
If plateau State’s appellation of a “Miniature Nigeria” is anything to go by, Jos North becomes the magnet that attracts such, in many ways. The assumption of simple men and gentlemen seem to be different within the case of Jos –North, as the dominant, disunited educated indigents are “Simple Men” within the context of politics and the united minority (JASAWA) Hausa-Fulani becomes the “gentlemen”…. The politics of Jos-North have been dominated in the last sixteen years by the JASAWA community currently, the Member Representing the Constituency in the House of Assembly Hon Baba Hassan, and Hon Suleiman Kwande represents the constituents in the House of Representative. Again the commissioner’s slot for the Local Government was also given to the same community. Can we say the other communities are marginalized politically? Putting to consideration the theory of Democracy as a game of numbers?
JOS NORTH AT A GLANCE
By Population in 2006 census 429,300,and land mass 291km2 major languages spoken in Jos North according to www.platestate.gov.ng) are Anaguta, Afizere and Berom, while others includes Igbo, youruba Hausa-Fulani, Tiv,Idoma among Many. Villages in Jos North include: Babale, Dong, Furaka,Gwafan, Gwash, Jos-Jarawa , Kabong, Laranto, Nabyar, Nabor, Nasohom, Naraguta, Nasarawa A, Nupkis, Rigiza, Russa, Tudun Wada, Taraong, Zakaliyo, Zangan, with these villages, tribes both from and none plateau occupy same, contributing to the socio economic development of the area.
Analyzing the above twenty villages in numerical terms the Jasawa’s can occupy not complete but in fraction at least two (2) out of the twenty therefore is represented as 2/20 but it seems over the years, something went wrong, indigenization of a Jasawa was not an easy task and taking political wheel seem to be the option to change statue score Hence, emergence of the “Gentle man” class was not without its historical line. The current “simple men” have failed to unite against many factors of ancient hate and rivalry thereby giving way to the emergence of a new class of “gentlemen” but as the say what is good for the goose is good for the ganders the “Simple Men” of yesterday are now part of the system and cannot be washed away so easy, it’s for all to come up with a political arrangement of convenience for all,.
What if the JASAWA concede to the other “simple men” who now are at the disadvantage politically to show peace and oneness? Or could it be that by next political dispensation the JASAWA will be willing to give the membership of the house of assembly, which the held for sixteen years. The problem is not stopping the election on account of interest of the “Gentlemen” or the “Simple men” the crux of it all is Justice… Hence it’s the case of who the cap fits and what Next because the future will never remain the same hmmmmm what do I even know about politics!!!
In my humble view, all that stands in the way of a plunge into the dark pit is a five letter word. THINK!!!
Dakwom Longgul Kuwel
Freelance Journalist, writer and
A Literary critic
Email dakwomlonggul @gmail.com

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Plateau state 2018 local government elections: Jos North, A panorama of myth and truth – Dakwom Longgul