Godwin Haruna
1 January 2009
analysis
Lagos — The erstwhile serene city of Jos made famous by its attractive weather has been turned into a hotbed of ethno-religious conflagration with heavy tolls in both lives and property.
Can the Tin city bounce back from years of self-inflicted destruction that has defined the once tourist destination of the country? Godwin Haruna writes
It used to be the holiday resort of fun loving Nigerians and most foreigners in the country. The conducive weather is suited to visitors because that is what obtains in the cold regions of the world. Jos had remained the holiday capital of Nigeria for a long time. Apart from the weather, the city is also famous for growing Irish potatoes, tomatoes and vegetables of all variants. Added to these array of cheap food, was the low cost of living generally and the hospitable people.
The University of Jos (UNIJOS), which is a second generation ivory tower, became the most preferred among admission seekers around the country in the city's glorious days. Established in the mid-70s, the university became famous because of the favourable weather and the high academic standards that made it a preferred choice for most parents and guardians wishing to send their wards to school. As students would say in later years, it was the only liberal university in the erstwhile northern region and the rich academic tradition made the institution tick among contemporaries.
All the favourable reports about the erstwhile Tin city began to change at the turn of the millennium. The drastic decline into the abyss continued inexorably with the violence visited on the city at the turn of the century and peace has seen eluded the city. Without it, the tourism potential of the city appears lost. Charred remains of the once bustling Terminus market, the must-visit sprawling shopping complex, define what is left of Jos.
The latest riots which occurred last month shook the foundation of the city and it seemed to have nailed the coffin of whatever remained of the tourist landmark of the famous Tin city. It is even worse that the violence has been dogged by high-wire politics. The once liberal city has degenerated into a hot bed of ethno-religious conflagration with mounting tolls from the wreckage. This sad situation, which has now become a litigation issue between Plateau State and the Federal Government, has prompted analysts to wonder if the city would regain its lost glory.
Speaking to THISDAY on this issue recently, Mr. Nankin Bagudu, the state Commissioner for the Environment and Housing said the city would bounce back again in the shortest possible time. Bagudu acknowledged that the violence of the past few years has done a lot of havoc to the once acclaimed tourist centre, but he affirmed that the government was determined to put measures, which would bring back the glory. He said unequivocally that with what the government was planning, the state had witnessed the last of such orgy of destruction.
Speaking on the impact of the December violence after the conduct of the state local government election, Bagudu said: "As you know, when such crisis occur, it leads to large scale displacement of people from their normal places of habitation and many of them have to seek refuge from different places they are staying. Also in certain places, there is always burning of houses and vehicles, thereby leading to air pollution and other problems. There is mass movement of people and mass displacement. All these associated with crisis affect the environment and activities such as refuse disposals. We are determined to reverse the trend of violence and reclaim the position of the famous tourist site in the country."
He said the state would set up a committee to make an estimate to ascertain a house to house value of what has been lost. The commissioner said properties were lost in many parts of the city as markets, churches; mosques were burnt, while businesses were affected.
He expressed the confidence that the famous city, which habours all peoples irrespective of race or colour would come back to its former position. "If you have been to Jos, you will know that Jos has accommodated all manner of people. In the past, Igbos, Yorubas and Urhobos and all manner of people have won elections in Jos North local government area. Jos is a city that was founded from tin mining. Yorubas were in Jos in 1891; Urhobos came to Jos shortly after that; Igbos were in Jos around that period. Jos has been a city where there are all manner of people. We expect that all of us should be able to live in peace.
"One of the challenges in Jos is that some people want to dominate the city because they claim Jos is their own. But others are saying, no, Jos is our farmland. So it is a problem between those who say they own the city and their counterparts who insist that Jos was their farmland," the commissioner said.
Speaking further, Bagudu said the government must address the arrogance displayed by some people and it must take long term measures to address these problems because the people of Jos are very accommodating, simple and treat everybody equally.
"Some people want a weak government in Plateau State where they can sit down in one place and give directives. But, thank God, we have a very strong and determined government that wants things to be properly done. For the past one year, we have tried to bring confidence in Plateau State. Things are improving and people have been coming in large numbers and the state has become a centre of attraction in recent times. This confidence is what they want to destroy with that orchestrated violence," he stated.
Bagudu said the government felt very sad that ordinary people and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were being killed. "It is pathetic that youth corpers and widows were slaughtered like ordinary rams beside University of Jos and Bauchi Road. We are taking an inventory of all these to see how they can be assisted. We are also grateful to many NGOs that have come into Plateau State to assist either in cash or in kind. We are living in a country where there is no strong insurance system to give back where houses are destroyed. It is very difficult for us but we will make sure that with the little resources we have, people will be rehabilitated," he said further.
Throughout the interview, the commissioner never minced words about the determination of the state government to bring back the glory days when tourism held forte in the state capital.
"We had started improving the city of Jos since the last crisis and gradually, people have started trooping to the city. We have this proposal for housing projects, industries and many others; tourism was booming and people started talking about Jos again. Then, this has happened once more. The truth is that despite all these, government will remain focused by trying to make sure that programmes and policies are implemented because the Jos crisis is a temporary set back. The government already has a certain point agenda which it wants to implement and there is no going back on it. The master plan for the city of Jos is in Bukuru and that will make Jos a better centre where developments would continue. The government is in touch with many interest groups across the country, informing them to spread the message of peace about Jos.
"Adequate security measures are being put in place to ensure the safety of lives and property. Most importantly, the government is going to make sure that those behind the Jos crisis are punished. In the past, perpetrators of similar crisis go free because they feel they are tin gods but right now, it is a different ball game. The government of Jonah David Jang is making sure that whoever is behind this recent crisis does not go unpunished, no matter his/her connection. Also the new master plan in Bukuru must accommodate everybody. We must also curtail the excesses of those who claim to own the city of Jos. That is the fact because the city of Jos is owned by Nigerians and no particular tribe or religion own the city of Jos. The mission of the Plateau State Ministry of Housing and Environment is to transform Jos into a garden city that will serve as a basis for entrepreneurs and businessmen all over the world. Our target is to rival Abuja as the contact point for Nigeria. If you want big business in Nigeria, come and stay in Jos. Everything was being done in this regard until the latest crisis erupted. They should not be discouraged because government is focused and determined to ensure that peace, progress and development remain reference points in the city of Jos, even in years to come," Bagudu stated.
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