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
3 comments:
Longgul Dakwom is a good and trustworthy leader
That's right!
Conducting LG election in JN will be suicidal...
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