JOS CRISIS| THOUGHTS

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION TO JOS CRISIS, IT IS ONLY AN INDIVIDUAL'S THOUGHTS ON THE SITUATIONS. 

At this point, it is sad to be saying that Jos has turned into a kind of situation that no one has predicted or fully explained. After writing hundreds of words in an explanation to a family in the United States I still feel I haven't explained the situation fully. 

At least, we now know that everyone is angry. Christians are angry for the believers being killed, students are angry for the fellow comrades that were killed, Muslims are angry for being blamed for the killings and the soldiers are angry for the attack on their men. There is probably only one party that is not angry, the Government. The government is clearly indifferent. I will like to kindly, out of extreme kindness, grant that they are confused. 

Someone has to be blamed for this. Someone has to take responsibility for the tragedy that has happened here. But who? Who is that someone that will take the complete blame without blaming the other parties? Students will vow that there were soldiers trying to infiltrate the school. Soldiers will vow that they were trying to keep the peace. The people of Du will vow that they killed no general. And no "unknown gunmen" will say a thing, they are men of the dark. 

This story is extremely complicated. Worse, the recent involvement of purported fake soldiers. The negligence of the media exacerbated this and the randomness of opinions flying on social media is no sweet additive to this bowl of tragedy. 

Photo by Jonathan Meyer on Unsplash

After reading all available press release from all the major stakeholders and following the silence of some, My worse pain in this is that we are no longer talking about the real issue which is that persons are being killed. On the plateau, human life has been totally disvalued. How much is the worth of a life? It is cheaper than a bag of potatoes. Absolutely, we do not have the moral rightness in us again to remember that at the core of our troubles is the slaying of lives. Check the social media groups and timelines, very few people are still talking about that someone is dead, most people are talking about who killed who and how they did it. We have entered a season of human indignity such that we do not even respect the very roots of our essential beliefs. Any association that comes forth to condemn the killings comes with a voice of blame pushing. Yes, even the military did the same. 

We've gotten it radically wrong. Bended truths will not redeem this society. Half truths will not build a nation. Twisted facts will provide security for me and you and our future generations. And the silence of our most distinguished leaders is betrayal which will cost more lives. 

But more than that, our response, me and you will ultimately decide the fate of this city, and this nation! 

We must resist the urge to become peddlers of propaganda and seeking for a biased response. If this society will survive, we must demand justice with blinded eyes. We must refuse to inherit the hate that is passed down to us. We must remove the scales of stereotypes that we use to judge this situation. I don't care the tribe of who killed the General Alkali (If he's dead), the criminals should be brought to book neither I'm I interested in what form who killed Kums is, the criminal should be brought to book or who initiated the attack in Bassa, I don't want to know his extracts, bring the criminals to book. These killers are not angels. They are not aliens, they live with us here. They can be extracted with adequate, unbiased investigation. The confusion of the Government is a nearly good thing because it means they still have a chance to initiate an independent, instant investigation that will lead to justice for all. 

For the meantime, you and I at this level should begin to see that these killings aren't building this place and attaching a tribe to each situation hasn't provided justice, it has only intensified the hate. 

Irrespective of your beliefs and location, we must collectively seek solutions that will bring peace to our state, and country!

P.S: There is a WhatsApp Group that was created with the sole aim of pursuing peace on the Plateau, relevant discussion has been ongoing there. Click on this link to join the group!

Let's talk peace!