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Jos crisis: genocide or failure of leadership?

March 17, 2010
The spate of sectarian violence and wanton destruction of lives and properties in succession in Jos, Plateau state of Nigeria in the first quarter of this year 2010 calls for deeper perspective on the motivating factors and drivers of this carnage act. Generally, large number of Nigerians of diverse religious and sectarian convictions live together in peace and harmony, in brotherly co-existence as one would expect in any civilized nation of the world, but happenings in the middle belt state of Nigeria, Jos in recent times have raised concerns and curiosity about whether there are centripetal or centrifugal forces that moderates the violent activities or it is simply a fluid state of ethno-religious disharmony or a crusade of cleansing that should not be looked at with a casual glance, but rather with the same condemnation that the world has given other similar historical crusades around the world.
This is very important given the perennial nature of this violence and the persistence of it in rapid succession this year. The world cannot afford another genocide in the mould of Darfur, Rwanda or Bosnia.
 
If this is simply ethno religious divergence of ideas or belief, is there an ideology driving this like the crusade of terrorism that is maintaining the global war on terror or is it just a dastardly act of political manipulation of poor and impoverished people of Nigeria in that part of the nation for selfish end? Is it a state of affair that is raising questions about our divergence and heterogeneous federalism or merely a fight for ethnic domination by one group over another? Can we simply say that it is a jostle for control of economic and social resources in that area, being an agrarian part of the country, or is it a fight over control of land resources from one ethnic group over the other? These are perspective questions that need pointed answers. The issues here mirror the genesis of the civil unrest that led to the war in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Democratic republic of Congo, Rwanda and Somalia. It is within our collective memories the consequences of these scenarios and the psychological impact of that on the world at large with the images of carnage and destruction that it bequeathed to us. We are seeing similar images now emanating from Nigeria, from recent events in the Jos area of Nigeria where defenseless children and nursing mothers were burnt beyond recognition, limbs and arm were maimed and bodies of people were inflicted with deep machete wounds in there sleep and homes and properties were burnt down.
 
More questions than answer are being raised about what is the driving force behind this spate of violence, particularly given the timing and happenings in the political firmament in the country. Is this a leadership failure on the part of those we have elected to lead us, those we have voted to unite us or is it a demonstration on irresponsible attitude to the business of state security and governance? Nelson Mandela once said something about leadership " It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership", but if what is happening in Jos is such that our leaders are sending innocent men and women in arms way, playing them one against the other for political advantage, then it begs the question, what kind of leaders do we have in Nigeria? Leaders according to Mandela leads others into during the time of danger and challenges and take the back side during the time of peace and plenty, but if our so called leaders are promoting violence with a view to achieve political or religious domination then our trouble has just begun, our nationhood has just been bastardised and our brotherliness, equality and freedom have just been denigrated. We do not deserve such leadership!
 
History told us that leadership that promote sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing agenda, xenophobic sentiments and racial hatred are retained in the ignoble hall of fame and are usually paraded in the corridors of court of crime against humanity. Do we have such leaders in Nigeria who should be taking their seats under cross-examination in the United Nation Court of Human Right? Or do we have leaders who will act like Nelson Mandela, who despite decades of incarceration and fight on the side of justice and equality for all races stated that "During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony with equal opportunities. It is an ideal, which I hope to live for, and to see realized. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die. No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite" Are our leaders in Nigeria sending our children and women to die vainly and unnecessarily by formenting and fanning the embers of hatred amongst communities?

Do we have leaders in Nigeria who aspire to these ideals of Humanity and sacred selflessness? Have we bred leaders who are pre-occupied with their own political and personal ambition so much as to sacrifice the lives of others and drive them to violence and carnage to meet that end?
Quoting the sage again "I always remember the axiom: a leader...is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind". Our country, Nigeria is blessed with people with good heads and kind hearts who are selfless enough to delay their own gratification until they have realized that every one who follows them have settled in peace, abundance and unity and would rise above primitive sentiments in the direction and operation of nationhood. The killing of innocent men, women and children and wanton destruction of lives and properties as it happened in Jos in recent times under the watch of our leaders in modern day Nigeria is an inexcusable and unjustifiable incident and failure of leadership. In parts of the world where lives of human means so much and weigh so much, there is always a public demonstration of remorse and in some situations admittance of failure and across the board, people take personal and spiritual responsibility for such loss of lives. It is not yet the case in Nigeria and these further underlies how far away we are from the attainment of accountability in governance and public life.
 
Jos Crisis and the underlying factors driving the violence needs to be decapitated for the good of mankind and humanity, no civilized nation in modern times can harbour such wound of hatred for any length of time unattended. Inattention to the factors behind it will eat away our price of nationhood and cause cohesive gangrene that may lead to permanent necrosis of our efforts at gaining socio-political relevance in the modern world. Our leaders should work towards freeing our nation of such debilitating cancer, freedom from political oppression, freedom from shackles of ethno-religious violence, freedom from economic sabotage, freedom from political insensitivity and freedom from primitive utilization of divergent views and belief to achieve political capita or advantage..."For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others" Enough is Enough!
 
 
Dr Olayiwola Ajileye
Media and Publicity Coordinator, Champions for Nigeria (CFN)
www.championsfornigeria.org

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