Uthman Abubakar
3 July 2009
This multi-ethnic community is still scarred by ruins and desolate wards, a horrifying reminder of the communal clashes of Sunday and Monday, May 2 and 3, 2004, which claimed over 700 human lives, displaced about 45,000 persons, and overheated Nigeria's Plateau, compelling the then President Olusegun Obasanjo to slam a state of emergency on Plateau State.
"Lives and properties were lost during the devastating crisis of 2nd and 3rd May, 2004. In fact, the most important thing is that the mutual trust that had been existing among the people of the community was also lost," Barrister Abdullahi Danbaba Abdullahi, the Chairman of the Yelwa Community Development Association, recalled.
According to Malam Abdullahi, "We, as the Yelwa Community Development Association did all we could with the assistance of people concerned about the peace, security and unity of this country ,to gather our people and resettle them peacefully. Almost 90 percent of the people of Yelwa, who were Muslims, had dispersed to places like Bauchi, Lafia, Kano, and other places, in search of peace and security."
He recalled that the Administrator of the state during the period of emergency, Maj. Gen. Chris Alli, advised them to recall their people, because there was nothing he could do in terms of resettlement and rehabilitation to the devastated community with its people scattered in other states.
"We formed the Yelwa Rehabilitation Committee," the community leader recalled. "We moved to the states where our people dispersed to, talking to them to return home and forget the traumatic experiences, although it is definitely hard to forget. About 95 percent of the people who fled Yelwa heeded our call and returned."
He complained bitterly about unfulfilled promises by government: "Unfortunately, as I am talking to you now, most of the promises made by the government that it would assist us in rehabilitating ourselves ,and may be give us some compensation, none of all such promises have been fulfilled."
Barrister Abdullahi recalled: "During the state of emergency, we knew that N1.2 billion was earmarked for the rehabilitation, compensation and resettlement of the then Plateau crisis. But as far as Yelwa community is concerned, we have not received anything out of that amount. We received only 400 bundles of zinc during the emergency regime of Chris Alli, for both the Christian and Muslim residents of Yelwa to share, with each to have 200 bundles. For some of us who lost properties, even if the 200 bundles were given to, say, ten people, they may not be sufficient for them to reconstruct their houses."
He recalled further that they also received "maybe about 150 bags of maize, and 80 bags of rice were distributed. Those relief materials were not enough to go round just one ward in Yelwa, let alone the entire population of Muslims and Christians ,whose houses were razed down, some of them to their very foundation. Imagine what 200 bundles of zinc would do to a population of over 45, 000 scattered people. How can you distribute 200 bags of grains to not less than 30, 000 displaced people?"
Malam Abdullahi stated: "In a nutshell, I can say there is nothing, absolutely nothing that the government has done to us in terms of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of our demolished houses. Any reconstruction of structures you may see in town is as a result of the sheer will of our people, who want to return to their place of domicile and rebuild their lives. Whatever you can see when you go round, is entirely the effort of our people."
According to him, "The most consistent NGO that has remained with us throughout the period of trauma was Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which opened a unit to counsel our people out of trauma, particularly the women. The International Centre for Reconciliation (ICR) also did a lot of advocacy and conflict management. So also did the Muslim-Christian Forum of Kaduna, and also a few other NGOs. But I cannot recollect any more solid aid given in cash or kind by anyone else" he said.
"Chris Alli also told us that some state governments, like Kano, Sokoto, Bauchi and Katsina, gave him money, totaling almost N80 million, for us. He said he would not give us that money until we relocated to Yelwa, which we did. As I am talking to you now, nobody knows the whereabouts of that money. Nothing has been given to us out of it since he announced it to us," he recalled.
The community leader stated delightfully: "I have always said it that Yelwa's problem has never been internal. There are external forces instigating us against each other. Left to the Christian and Muslim peasants in Yelwa, we are brothers and sisters. With the help of God, we have now seen that none of us can run over the other aground in this town. We have to live together, because that is how God wants it. I am proud to say that a satisfactory level of reconciliation has been achieved, although it is very hard to restore mutual confidence and trust as obtained before the clashes."
Malam Abdullahi emphasized that the diverse peoples of Yelwa had been coexisting peacefully, "but when the indigene-settler dichotomy reared its head on the Plateau, it became the decisive cause of the crises. This issue of who is a Christian, who is a Muslim; who is an indigene, who is not an indigene, did not start manifesting itself until around 1996, which is about 13 years ago. So, when you consider that Yelwa has existed for over 200 years, you will see that this is just a recent development, created by people who want to achieve their political and economic goals."
He dwelt heavily on the indigene-settler problem, recalling, "Our ancestors, the Jarawan Kogi from Dass (Bauchi State), founded this town in about 1824, first at Yelwa Mai Ganuwa. The present Yelwa was founded by them in 1913, which is 96 years now. So, even if we have existed in Yelwa for 96 years, where do you think we can go? Nowhere! That is the basic truth. We belong here. We should be allowed to enjoy all the rights enjoyed by other indigenes. We had been getting the indigene certificate until after 1986. The Gamai of Nshar near us here were instigated against us, that they own the land and we are only immigrants and robbers. As a result of developments following the who-owns-the-land arrogance among the Gamai, we have been unable to get the indigene certificate since 1996. That is where the serious problem of indigene-settler came to play."
Mallam Abdullahi said since the death of the former Chief of Yelwa (village head) in 1992 another one has not been installed for the community by the Long Goemai, Miskoom Hubert Shaldas II, the paramount ruler of the land, although the law says that no paramount ruler has the sole right to appoint a salaried chief, and our chief was a salaried chief.
"When pressure was mounted on the Long Goemai through our writings and through the Bureau For Local Governments, he single-handedly picked a member of the ruling house as our chief, to which we objected. We wrote series of petitions to the government until 1997 when the Bureau was left with the alternative of writing to the Long Goemai, nullifying his appointment of the chief. That seemed to be the opportunity he was waiting for. He has remained utterly silent over the appointment of a chief for us ever since," he said on the lack of a traditional ruler for the community.
The community leader said the Jarawa community of Yelwa has joined hands with the Hausa-Fulani community of Jos, and instituted a case against the Plateau State government before the Court of Appeal on the indigene-settler issue, threatening to appeal to any court of ECOWAS and continental jurisdiction ,if they are not satisfied with the judgment of the Appeal Court, until they win the case.
According to him, "because of this indigene-settler problem, we are now rendered stateless. There is nothing the constitution says we should enjoy as of right, which we are enjoying in this land. It is only due to our sheer largeness of size ,that we are now allowed to elect a councilor to represent us in the local government council."
Malam Abdullahi's lamentation was corroborated by the Tafida of Yelwa, Alhaji Ibrahim Tafida, and Malam Muhammad Kabir, one of the Imams of the Muslim community, with the Tafida complaining bitterly: "With their (the Long Goemai's palace) refusal to appoint a village head for us, we seem condemned to perpetual servitude. Lack of a leader means we are directionless. Every one of us can do whatever he deems right, even if it is not right according to law, justice and discipline required for fair coexistence. It means we are just packed here, waiting for anyone somewhere to do whatever he likes with us."
For Imam Muhammad Kabir: "If there is no leader to enforce discipline, justice and fairness among the different peoples of the community, anybody can breach the rights of his fellowman with impunity, and another person can do worse tomorrow ,because he saw somebody doing it the previous day and he was not punished. We have gone formally to the Long Goemai to apologise to him, in case we have offended him. He is still silent on that. If we had a chief, the crisis could have been averted."
Father Michael Kelong of the Catholic Church is the Acting Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of Yelwa.
"I came here in 2007. I was in Bauchi as a priest when I heard about the crisis of 2002 and 2004, which claimed the lives of a big population and destroyed a large quantity of properties. When I came back home to see the ruins of destroyed houses I lamented it deeply. It is very hurting and nauseating," Father Kelong lamented.
"When I assumed duty, we the Christians had to go into dialogue with the Muslims. We called them together to forge peace and harmonious coexistence. I have told them that we need each other as Muslims and Christians, we must live together whether we like it or not. Indonesia has the highest population of Muslims, yet Christians are there. Both of them are living peacefully without any destruction of humanity and property. We, the Jarawa and the Gamai, just woke one morning with guns and knives against each other. What is left now? All of us are now regretting it. It is not the same Yelwa again," he bemoaned.
"However, we had different dialogues. The Muslims are coming together with the Christians; both have seen the effect of the crisis. Lives are gone. So, what next? Peace, please!"
He complained about unfulfilled promises by government. "The present government is failing us. I must be frank. When the carnage and destruction of property occurred, there were instant assistances from the federal and state governments, including the Plateau State government, to the local government, but the rich sat on most of the assistances. I can say the government may have done its best, but some people siphoned the relief materials. Go round Nshar and Yelwa. You will see five or more people living in a single hut. The government of the past may have done its best, but the present government should help to resettle and rehabilitate the larger population who will vote for them during elections."
Pastor Nuhu Mati of the HEKAN Church of Yelwan Shendam and Julius Nyarnap of the Church Of Christ In Nigeria (COCIN) corroborated Father Kelong on peace efforts and other complaints.
According to Pastor Nuhu Mati, "Even two days ago (Friday, May 26) we met with elders, pastors and imams of the town on progress that has been made in terms of peace in this town. I have been preaching to my congregation that since God created all as Nigerians with different religious, with the two main religions being Islam and Christianity, we should uphold peaceful and harmonious coexistence. Most of the displaced who are scattered in the bush and other states want to return home, but they are weighed down by abject poverty. You can see that all their houses are in ruins. They lack the wherewithal to rebuild them. So, I plead with government to help such people to rebuild their houses."
He joined his fellow religious leaders in lamentation on the failure of government to assist in rehabilitation and resettlement, saying, "I am yet to see any assistance from government. If it had made any promises, I am yet to see any of the promises fulfilled. I can remember that initially, government promised to assist both sides to rebuild destroyed structures and resettle people. It has not done anything in that regard. Our church was razed down during the crisis. We spent about N5 million to rebuild it. Government did not assist us with a dime. In terms of food stuff, if anything was sent by government at all, we did not receive a grain in our church."
Lucy Mbimbol lost her husband during the crisis. She now lives with her seven children in a single room. She fends for them, including paying their school fees.
"We have restored substantial relationship of cordiality among us the women of the community," she offered, complaining, however, "but government is not forthcoming with any assistance at all to us widows. Consider fending for the orphans, their feeding and school fees for a widow who virtually has nothing doing. Most of us widows are living with all our children in rooms that do not befit us at all. I live with my seven children in a single room. When their father was alive, they had their own room, and we had our own as parents. The government promised to assist with building and other relief materials. We have not received anything of that sort."
"Whatever level of peace we have achieved is due to the constant dialogue we have been holding with the traditional rulers and the religious and other community leaders, during our Security Council meeting," the Chairman of Shendam Local Government Council, Mr. Nicholas Nshe Kemi, offered on his mobile phone, saying, "We tell them that without peace, we cannot achieve any development democratically. On relief materials and resettlement promises, the local government has no hand there. The federal and other concerned agencies send the materials directly to the distressed people."
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