Towards an enduring peace in Ebiraland

Suddenly, things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold. The three communities became locked in a bitter political and clannish differences that degenerated into a wide-scale physical violence recently.  Although normalcy has steadily returned to the communities, memories of the physical devastation linger on. Since the 2007 general elections, observers say that many […]

Suddenly, things fell apart and the centre could no longer hold. The three communities became locked in a bitter political and clannish differences that degenerated into a wide-scale physical violence recently.  Although normalcy has steadily returned to the communities, memories of the physical devastation linger on. Since the 2007 general elections, observers say that many people had been irritated by the lingering political crises in the Kogi Central Senatorial District.

It, therefore, took the innocuous incident of a disagreement between a vigilante group and a commercial motorcyclist one night to ignite the latest mayhem. By the next day, the communities had risen up in arms against eachother, leading to the destruction of lives and property. Many residents are also of the view that the crisis had partly arisen from masquerade activities. “All we can show as a result of these unnecessary crises between brothers and sisters are heavy casualties, maimed victims, burnt houses and property, apart from the psychological trauma on the people,” laments Musa Mohammed, a victim of the latest crisis.

Musa whose loses are colossal, says that “only time, courage, love and the Grace of God will heal the serious socio-economic and political wounds inflicted on the people by the perpetrators of the bloody crisis”. Political analysts point out that the history of communal violence in Ebiraland is not enviable at all. They say that Okene, the heartland of Ebiraland; Ihima, Ogaminana, Agassa and Upogoro, have all also had their taste of communal violence in recent times.

For Malam Sule Ahmadu, a 65-year-old community leader, “the latest crisis in Okengwe, Idoma and Obehira, is one too many that begs for a solution.”  Sule, like many of his kinsmen, wants the Kogi Government and peace-loving people of the state, to take decisive actions to stem the ugly trend. Observers say that Oyiobankere and Makaranta quarters, both within the feuding communities, were worst hit in the latest crisis, as they are now shadows of their old selves. “The once-vibrant human settlements are now desolate, as all you can see are burnt houses and property,” says Mrs Hajarat Karim, another victim.

However, the Kogi State Government says it is not resting on its oars, expressing resolve to probe the crisis, with a view to find lasting peace  ain Ebiraland. As he received the report of retired Maj.-Gen Chris Alli, whose committee probed the recurring crises in Ebiraland, the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, advised politicians in the area against fomenting trouble. “No society can develop where crisis is the order of the day,’’ he notes.  As an interim measure to tackle the latest round of crisis, a ban has been imposed on all masquerade activities in the area, according to Dr Tom Ohikere, the state Commissioner of Information. “Masquerade activities have been fingered as one of the immediate causes of the crisis,” he says.

 Also, the government has approved some vigilance groups for Okene – the centre of the crisis, and their duty is to monitor the activities of restive youths, who are often used to perpetrate violence. Observers believe that the prevailing economic meltdown may also be a remote factor in the recurring crisis. Apparently acknowledging this viewpoint, the state government plans to convene a broad-based economic summit soon, where experts will take turns to highlight the economic potentials of the state, Ohikere says.

“The thinking of the state government is that when youths are productively engaged, there will be fewer propensities for restiveness,” he adds. The people themselves seem to have realised the negative impact of the crisis on their socio-economic and political lives and they appear ready to turn a new leaf.  Concerned elders of the communities, under the aegis of the Kogi Central Forum (KCF), recently met with other stakeholders at the Abdulrahman Okene Town Hall in Okene to explore ways to resolve the recurring crises.

The Chairman of the Forum, Alhaji Musa Etudaiye, says that the forum’s objective is not to apportion blames but to “chart a way forward for Ebiraland”. His words: “It is time to move forward. The people and their leaders should all be involved in the concerted efforts to find a lasting solution to the crises.”  Etudaiye identifies insecurity, illiteracy, unemployment and dearth of social services as some of the remote causes of the crises.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Phillip Salawu, who hails from the area, also wants the people to sheathe their swords and embrace the dialogue option as brothers and sisters.   He calls on them to close ranks to achieve their age-long political and socio-economic goals. The KCF, however, came up with a nine-point communique, which mainly identified some ways and means of achieving a lasting peace in the area. Part of their resolutions implored politicians from the district, particularly those seeking elective offices, to conduct themselves “responsibly and peacefully”, especially in the build-up to the 2011 general elections.

They also stress the need to allow equity to prevail in the distribution of political offices in the state, especially those affecting Kogi Central Senatorial District. Mr Abdul Miliki, the Executive Director of the Lokoja-based Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Centre, calls on the state government and the five local councils that make up the district to pool resources in efforts to re-orientate the people.

He concedes that many factors were responsible for the crises and pledges the willingness of civil society organisations to contribute to efforts to find solutions. Miliki urges the government to provide relief for the victims of the crises, while initiating pro-active measures to curtail recurrence. Some other voluntary bodies have taken the challenge to foster peace amongst the people.

One of such is the Kogi Central Media Practitioners Association (KOCEMPA), whose Chairman; Abdulkarim Abdulmalik, says that the association has embarked on a dialogue with all stakeholders to let peace reign. “Peace is the alternative to violence and that is what we preach in order to restore calm to Ebiraland,” he says.

Alhaji Yahaya Karaku, the Chairman of Okene Local Government Council, pledges that compensations will be given victims of the crises “as soon as the council’s financial position improves”. He also promises to enhance the economic empowerment of the youths, so as to keep them productively engaged. (NANFeatures).