There were fantastic shopping centers and modern boutiques like Kingsway, Bata, Leonard, Chellerams, Onigbende where assorted modern wears were available for all who can afford. Multinational companies like UAC, SCOA, UTC made available essential commodities with affordable cars for the elistic class. There was nothing develop economies that was missing in action in Jos. On weekly basis, foreigners in large numbers visited Jos for vacations or holidays. which was also foreign exchange earner for the country. Generally, there was social contentment because of flourishing economic activities. In 1981, my friend traveling to London bought a ticket in Kingsway, the present day location of Zenith Bank at #400.00 return ticket. Every effort of common people was self sustaining meanwhile government was playing complimentary roles of providing social services. Jos Plateau was peaceful and attractive to all. It was dream of many to live in Jos. There was no member of the human community that was not represented in this city, even nomads then considered Jos Plateau as home because many of them sought permanent settlements in the area.
Jos Plateau rich heritage predates the nineteen century. It was the early centre of mineral exploration in Nigeria, tin mining where different ethnic nationalities across the country migrated to the place. Early settlers like the Urobos, Yorubas, Hausas many others arrived the Plateau which converted it into a miniature Nigeria highly cosmopolitan with modern social traditions. During the Second World, the first International Airport in Africa was established which today is known as Old Airport. All those who participated in the second World from Africa were lifted from Jos Airport. Sadly, there is no International Airport today on the Plateau. Secondly, because of the temperate weather conditions, it was chosen for the training of Second World War Veterans from Africa. There the first International Military Conferment was set up for their training at where presently is known as Fire Service Training School in Bukuru. The Hill Station Hotel was the first three star hotel in Africa established for vacation and holiday for European military officers, since Europe was plunged into war, hence unsafe for vacations. Oral narrations established that by 1931, most of those who were literate in modern civilization in the entire Northern Provinces were from Jos Plateau. The first person to be licensed in Northern Region to teach English language was from Plateau, Mallam Oga Kumgar, the late Ponzhi Timwat and the District Head of Langtang. These and so many others positive human values projected the state prominently to national and international significance. Plateau State has produced so many great leaders amongst them was General Nanven Garba who was the first African to preside over the 44th Session of the United Nations. Micheal Audu Buba a Christian but a trusted ally of Sardauna of Sokoto, the Premier of Northern Region was a Minister. He was with Sir Ahmadu Bello everywhere. They travelled with him on one of the umrah to Saudi Arabia. On arrival, Sardauna told his Christian friend humorously that "Buba, you go to Riyad for your own while I while I proceed to Mecca and medina for my own religious obligations. After performing Umurah, Sarduna went himself and picked his friend at his hotel room before departing home. At this point Iam writing in pains and fighting tears, Plateau, why are the mighty falling?
Since 2001 the image of this great community has collapsed like park of cards and its rightful place is a scaring theatre of human massacre. The eruption of human carnage motivated by primitive passions of ethnicity with religious hatred had reconfigure the chemistry of the area. In fact, the mentioning of Jos can disperse a community because of its association with negative publicity. All the rich heritage of the state are mere ghost of its history. Killing, maiming, burning blocking of public high ways and preaching of ethnic hatred is new trade mark. Communities that have settle in Jos time immemorial are under threat of expulsion under an illegal political contraption known as Indigenes/Settlers dichotomy. My secondary School classmates from Jos Division were indigenes now they and their children are confronting the non indigenes question. What an irony? In 2014, I led a delegation of Christian and Muslim leaders to breakfast during the month of Ramadan with Sultan of Sokoto. He invited all his traditional his Council members to the occasion. During the introduction one of the council members introduced has Tarok name. Immediately, my cultural identity exploded and I greeted in in Tarok. Sultan Abubakar immediately intervene when he said "that is my council member, the leader of Plateau community but a citizen of Sokoto state" At that point I realized the magnitude of the damage injustice has done to the image of the state. Paradoxically, any person opposed to these atrocities is considered a traitor. It battles me that evil doers consider patriots as traitors meaning evil has established its reign in the sub consciousness of a majority.
Religion as moral regulator has been distorted into a tool for mobilizing hatred, ethnic divide and bigotry. Social relationship has been redefined to mere sentiments of self belief that Jos Plateau is the home of Christianity knowing too well that it has been home for both faiths. How can people of Plateau who dominated the civilization of our time just fall cheap? What has become of the hospitality we were known for? Or are we challenging the wisdom of our founding fathers? Now that shedding innocent blood is our trade mark can we show case the benefits made from it since 2001. Sadly, the manipulation of the people continues. Political leaders of Plateau are responsible for the current state of quagmire. They have failed woefully to restore harmony in the crisis ridden zone rather most of them had relocated their families to Abuja. They are like colonial inspectors who only visit Jos at week ends for social functions or are good in mobilizing relief materials when they instigated crisis. Any time they address the people they left them with impression of perceived enemies. Our young people though may be educated has been brainwashed to believed that the problem of Jos Plateau is Hausa Fulani meaning once they are eliminated then Jos will be second heaven. How can a group of people be seen as problem of a community? Let us not forget that there are Plateau citizens living else where, even doing better. If we become unaccommodating then we shall endanger their wellbeing.
From 1999 till date there has been no Hausa/Fulani or Muslim that has held any strategic appointment in Plateau State. The two past Governors are not Hausa/ Fulani or Muslims, yet the wellbeing of the people has embarrassingly degenerated. All they did was to form exclusive family and friends government where the resources of the state was misdirected to servicing personal empires at the expense of development. The geography of the state was reconfigured to the size of their families thereby setting the tone for perpetual crisis. No attempt was made to maximize the economic potentials of the state which has been responsible for our cooperate image. These leaders while campaigning for elections they guaranteed all of justice but once elected they take refuges in worship places by metamorphosing into "men of God" while their life styles remains irreconcilable to acclaimed status. How justifiable for a Governor appointing his biological son, an adviser and later a Commissioner yet he claimed the problem of Plateau State is Hausa/Fulani Muslims? Their children and grand children are schooling outside the country but tertiary institutions were sealed up for months without academic activities. To me, the youths have been converted into hypocrites just to make a living, looking at how they have been traumatized by hunger. There is no basis for blaming anybody blame ourselves. We are architects of our undoing even if there are people opposed to us. Have we treated ourselves fairly?
Instead of gainfully engaging youths to prepare them for future leadership they have been decimated into ethnic militias wielding assault riffles to kill and maim. Meanwhile, none of the children of the so called leaders is a militia. We shall one day be victims of these monsters so created therefore, there is the urgent need to nip it in the bud. Employment must be created to replace ethnic militias and then deliberate policy of disarmament should be embark upon to rid the society of illegal arms. Human life is worthless to our young people as killing is a fanfare. What's a terrible society bedeviled by hunger, hatred, poverty, unemployment? I will not stand in for bad leadership which instead of unity the people it has divided them into ethnic compartments. In order to milk the lean resources of the state without resistance, leaders patronized ethnic consciousness to galvanize political base. However, the benefits of political offices are usually reserves of family members and friends. Disappointingly, the state of affairs in Plateau state since 1999 monumentally leadership embarrassment with directionless citizens.
To recover our lost glory, the new administration must be anchored on justice, while poverty, hunger and unemployment must be approach sincerely with a human face. Security of lives and properties must take the front burner, while impunity must be tackled, any person who kill another human being whether unknown gunmen, Hausa/Fulani, Tarok or Berom militias must be arrested and prosecuted. The new administration lack the excuse not to perform because of the catalogue of experiences to exploit. Above all we must love ourselves as people God created to live together. Let us get it right this time so that we can resume our traditional role of "home of peace and tourism' instead of " theatre of human carnage. There is hope if we're are determined.
Solomon Dalung, LLB. BL. LLM
Garkuwan Arewa.
