OF THE SACRED COW AND THE SCAPEGOAT (Shabul Mazadu)
Since the advent of the Fourth Republic and its key actors, one stands out as a sacred cow while others as scapegoats.
Every error of the sacred cow, there is a backup of formidable propagandists that launder it into correctness, while the others, their righteousness is deformed and dwarfed into errors or wrongs.
In 2001 when one Muktar was made Jos North Chairman of the National Poverty Alleviation Programme, NAPEP, there was massive opposition from the indigenes and massive counter from the Hausa Community in Jos that eventually snowballed into the September 7, 2001 ethno-religious crises.
The Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye and Senator Ibrahim Mantu were blamed for the appointment and seen as villains.
Coming to 2003 political dispensation, Retired Air Commodore Jonah David Jang, cross carpeted from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Nigerian Peoples Party, ANPP, and became the gubernatorial candidate.
In the same party, Alhaji Saleh Hassan became the candidate for the Federal House of Representatives, Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency while that of the PDP was Hon. Lumumba Daade who was already in the House. Nobody raised an eyebrow over the candidacy of Saleh Hassan being a Muslim and Hausa because he got the blessing of the sacred cow.
There was massive outcry and campaign for the ANPP. Everywhere you went was masara, masara (maize) which was the ANPP symbol. Eventually Saleh Hassan won, and nobody protested instead it was a jubilation galore for the followers of the Sacred Cow, saying he will defeat the “villains” in power.
At that time, there wasn’t any complain or campaign against then ANPP presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, because the Sacred Cow was with him.
The PDP embarked on religious campaign against the ANPP, saying it was a Muslim party, but most of the pastors and evangelists denied and refuted the claim most especially when the Sacred Cow granted an interview to The Messenger April 2003 edition lambasting those championing the religious campaign. He was asked, “There is a general notion on the Plateau that ANPP is a Hausa Muslim political party. But here you are a theologian of Berom extraction contesting the governorship of the state on the platform of this party. How do you intend to disabuse people’s mind here and convince them to elect you? He answered, ” The fact is ANPP is not a Muslim Party. It is not a Hausa Fulani or Islamic party. The constitution of Nigeria itself does not recognize a religious party. Secondly, how do they come about that notion that ANPP is a Muslim party? Lt. General Jeremiah Useni has been the brain behind ANPP in Plateau State. Is he a Muslim? Since the creation of ANPP in Plateau State, no chairman of that party has been a Muslim. PDP has Alhaji Habu Shindai, a Muslim as its chairman today. Does that make the PDP a Muslim party? What makes PDP a non Muslim party or a Christian party?
“Now let’s go to the national level. PDP in the Northern states has Muslims as governors. The governor of Bauchi is a Muslim and he is practicing Sharia. Nasarawa State governor is a Muslim. Thank God he has never declared Sharia. Niger state governor is a Muslim. He has declared Sharia. Kaduna state governor is a Muslim. He has declared Sharia. Katsina state governor is a Muslim. He has declared Sharia. Now for goodness sake, tell me what makes PDP more Christian than ANPP?”
During and after the 2001 crises in Jos and its environs, and later moved down to the Southern Zone until 2004 when the emergency rule was imposed, the Sacred Cow and his followers blamed then governor, Dariye for the crises saying his bad leadership led to the crises. The Sacred Cow said, “We are faced with security problems in the state. Since the creation of Plateau State, it has been known as the Home of Peace and Tourism. The home is no more there. People are refugees in their own state. Peace has eluded the state. The governor doesn’t seem to have an answer to the security problems in the state. I don’t know who is training Fulani in the bush. These are people whom we have lived with here for many years. Today, they are Militias. They can shoot guns. They have sophisticated guns. Killing, burning villages. And all the governor is doing is asking people to come and tell him how to get peace in Plateau State. The governor doesn’t know how to bring peace to Plateau State.” They all stood up and gave their full backing to the Emergency Rule imposed on May 18, 2004. They even wanted it extended until General Yakubu Gowon asked its lifting from President Olusegun Obasanjo as birthday gift during his 70th birthday.
It was during the Emergency Rule that the Sacred cow returned to the PDP.
When he assumed the mantle of the governorship of the state in May 2007, in 2008, ethno-religious crises broke out in Jos North, due to the fault of the Sacred Cow, but he was exonerated saying it was hatred for him that led to the crises. When President Good luck Ebele Jonathan wanted to imposed state of Emergency they said the governor must not be suspended like the case with Dariye or else their will be dire consequences.
All through the crises witnessed under his administration until 2012 where he admitted he was helpless. He said at the 2012 Graduation ceremony of Theological College of Northern Nigeria, TCNN, on Friday May 11, 2012, “Everyday I keep wondering why God decided to make me governor at this time of the incessant killings. I keep wondering why God called me to be governor of Plateau now to come and face the crisis particularly the killings of my people.
” You can imagine what I’m going through every morning when I wake up not knowing the news that I will hear again.”
With this and no strong measures taken by him to curb the crises, he is accorded the best governor to have ever defended his people and brought peace.
When Governor Simon Lalong came, he brought in measures to restore peace such as setting up committees for reconciliation, Peace Building Agency, Air Force Barracks in Kerang, Early Warning Signal Tower in Dutse Uku, Mobile Police Barracks in Shendam and Gharshish, enacted Anti Land Grabbing Law and Anti Kidnapping Law and others. The state enjoyed relative peace for six years, until the recent compromise. After the attack on Yelwa Zangam, Lalong the Scapegoat, had his impeachment agitated. When Shehu Bala, Chairman Jos North got the APC chairmanship Ticket, they said the Scapegoat sold out Plateau, but when the Sacred Cow gave the Federal House of Reps ticket, they applauded him.
The Sacred Cow in 2003 said PDP is not a Christian Party because he was in ANPP, today it had become a Christian Party because he is in it.
Where is the justice we claim to talk of and righteousness we are agitating for? What future are we building with partiality and tribalism? We shield and defend our kin and church members despite their wrongs and elevate them, but degrade others despite their good intentions because they are not part of us, how can we move forward? Let’s think and act wisely!
Freelance Reporters 