Date Published: 02/22/10

Three Judicial Commission of Enquiry, Three Indictments. By Ndiameeh Babrik

One thing I have come to love and know about "Truth" is that it is constant, bitter and never changes. It is actually more constant then the northern star. Any Institution built on falsehood, deceit and oppression will surely crumble over time.

Since the evil General Ibrahim Babangida created the controversial Jos North local council against the wishes of the natives, there have been three judicial commissions of enquiry plus the 2004 peace conference held under the emergency administration of the great General Mohammed C Alli.

In the whole history of the Nigerian Army, there are three Generals I have always admired and have great respect for namely Generals TY Danjuma, Mohammadu Buhari, MC Alli and sometimes Buba Marwa. I respect those first three for their principles and stands on issues while Buba Marwa is a go getter any day any time. Ask Nigerians in South Africa.

I believe strongly and all sensible Nigerians will concur with me that the Emmanuel Abisoye and the Solomon Lar committee on the recurrent crises Jos should be disbanded immediately. Tax payer’s money should not be wasted anymore.

I strongly believe that anybody who wants peace in Plateau state and particularly Jos has more than enough materials and documents to work on to bring the much desired peace on the Plateau.

The judicial commissions of enquiry reports into the 1994, 2001, 2008 crises and even the Plateau peace conference of 2004 have eventually been released and now have been gazetted. All the judicial enquiries were headed by imminent jurists of high calibre. The 2004 peace conference was attended by all the 52 tribes on the Plateau and the representatives of all the settlers or non-indigenous tribes especially the big three tribes of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

Fortunately for the Federal government of Nigeria and even the Plateau state government, one issue that have remained persistently constant in all the four reports is the undeniable fact that the true indigenes and owners of Jos are the Berom,Anaguta and Afizere people. This is despite the fact that even the 1994 judicial commission of enquiry was under a Babangida protégé. Anybody therefore who wants true peace on the Plateau must implement the white paper immediately and to the later.

This is a great challenge indeed to the Federal government of Nigeria as custodian of the Nigeria Police to implement it aspect of the white paper. No more sacred cows. Those indicted in all the reports must be punished according to the laws of the land.

Now that all the reports have eventually been released and published, and there is consensus nationwide that all the culprits indicted must be punished, let us wait and see how the Federal government will shy away from performing it constitutional duties. Let the whole Nigerians now wait and see who are those above the laws of the land who are so untouchable despite being found wanting on three different occasions by three different judicial commissions of enquiries.

Happily enough the Prince Ajibola commission hit the nail on the head hardest when it said that the creation of Jos North council by Babangida has been the cause of the crises in Jos and Plateau. It equally suggested the creation of three council out of the present council. That I believe will be a welcome idea by my opinion. Fortunately too, we are under a democratic regime now and therefore the views and opinions of the indigenes must take precedent this time.

The National Assembly must this time take this Prince Ajibola report seriously and delete local government councils entirely from the constitution, since they are actually reviewing the constitution now. The House of Representatives at last have an opportunity to bring lasting peace to Plateau state the home of peace and tourism. If they are honest and want to solve the Plateau problem once and for all.

The truth like a gold fish has no hiding place even when so many lies are fabricated to cover it, it will always bolt out to show it self as the truth that it is. Despite all the effort to suppress the truth about the true owners and indigenes of Jos through military fiat, media campaign of calumny and blackmail especially by the Daily Trust, BBC Hausa service, VOA Hausa service and lately a dubious organisation called Human Right Watch lead by one dubious lady called Corinne Dofka, the truth still eventually prevailed.

Those who are suppose to make laws for peace, order and good governance of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have a challenge to permanently restore peace on the Plateau with the judicial of commission of enquiries report released recently.

We have to thank the Plateau state government for taking the bull by the horns and the initiatives to release and publish these reports despite all the efforts to conceal them for a long time.

The evil people who have been fomenting trouble on the Plateau and their sponsors have been exposed at last.

Thanks for reading. 

Ndiameeh Babrik,

ndiame_2005@yahoo.co.uk