THE SOUTHERN KADUNA MASSACRE OF OVER 114 INNOCENT LIVES IS CONDEMNABLE; BUT.... Since after the 2011 general election to date, the Southern part of Kaduna State has been witnessing increased level of tension and insecurity. This was occasioned by lost of precious lives of the inhabitants of this geo political part of the state as a result of (repraisal) attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The latest attack in three villages of Kaura local government area of Kaduna State last Saturday, has left over 114 innocent lives dead. May I use this medium to commensurate with the families that lost their loved ones following this needless and unfortunate episode. This needless killing, has predictably attracted many comments and condemnation, from both within and without the Southern Kaduna including this writer. Having said this, One is However pained to add that the genesis of these attacks took there root from the 2011 presidential election crisis which witnessed the massacre, destruction and burning of properties, houses, cattle and other economic goods of both the Fulani and Hausa communities residing in this same area. This ugly situation forced these communities to fled their homes and also to abandoned their properties and assets, and has made them to become refugees in other areas. As in the case with all other crisis, the government of the state instituted a commission of enquiry to look into the causes, factors and personalities that might have been responsible for the said 2011 senseless killings. During the public hearing of the committee, factors and individuals were identified to not only to have aided or abated the 2011 crises, but as architects and sponsors of the crisis, but as usual and as the norm with other commissions of enquiries nationwide, no arrest, or prosecution of the suspected sponsors was made. To crown it all, for instance the carnage in Zankwa town as a result of which hundreds of Hausa/Fulani lives were lost, was alleged to have been masterminded by a lawmaker representing the area in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, but the alleged culprit has never been brought to justice. It is also on record that, in the whole Southern Kaduna, there was no any particular Fulani settlement area that came under severe attack during the 2011 carnage, and which witnessed heavy lost of their lives, cattle and properties, than in Kaura local government area. This impunity of not punishing the perceived guilty by way of subjecting same to due process of the law, is believed to be responsible for the suspected perpetrators (Fulani herdsmen) to resort to retribution and jungle justice. A point of emphasis, this writer is not in any way saying, or justifying that the suspected Fulani herdsmen are right by resorting to this needless act, but is trying to refresh our memories on the remote and immediate causes of the present state of insecurity prevailing in the Southern Kaduna. This is against the background that we are approaching yet another election year, and to admonish our citizenry not to allow ourselves to be once more deceived by politicians in their diabolical quest to butter their bread at the expense of our blood. On top of this, is the regrettable resultant effects all inhabitants of Kaduna State are left to swallow - insecurity, mutual suspicion and permanent lack of trust. While the less than 1% politicians are exploiting us by the day, and have tremendously capitalized and benefited from this solitary state of our division and balkanization, the remaining overwhelming majority of the population are now negatively bearing the brunt of insecurity, underdevelopment, and total government failure to provide us the so-called needed dividend of democracy. As we approach 2015, we must say no to politics of ethnic cleansing, divide and rule, manipulation through the use of religion, or tribal deception. We may disagree, but the bases of such disagreement must be premised on issues that affect our collective well-being as a people, on employment opportunities for our teaming youths, sound and qualitative education for our children, good and affordable health care for our people, security for our lives, properties, and environment and all other issues bothering on good governance and the social contract. We must say enough is enough to violence, and politics of shading blood, destruction of properties, burning of houses, tribal incitement and religious bigotry.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 08:32:14 +0000
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