The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jos

  • Tackling our mindset

    For over twenty years now, one incident – among others – has been etched in my memory. At the heat of the perennial and acute fuel scarcity that was the norm in Jos and other parts of the country in the 1990s, my cousin and I were on the queue at a filling station when two young boys passed by lost in deep discussion.

    What these little boys were discussing in Hausa shocked us. “He’s a fool,” one of them said; “He doesn’t know how to embezzle money…”  We couldn’t believe what we just heard. After exchanging quick glances, we called them to inquire what brought up such topic. With a straight face one of them said: “It’s Baba Joel, it’s been over eight months that he was appointed a Sole Administrator of a local government and he’s still staying in the old house in our poor neighbourhood. Baba Hassan who was appointed earlier left in less than a month to Rayfield and later built his own house.” For those who know Rayfield in Jos, it’s the playground of the rich and elite.

    By our reckoning, the boys were about nine years old. Their mindset, at that very young age, goes to show the impact negative societal values can have on our mindset. These young boys have probably been raised on the flawed belief that once an individual is appointed into a government position he has the licence to start living large.  The fact that “Baba Hassan” transited from a pauper to a “man of means” made the boys believe that’s the best path to tread.

    Unfortunately, this is the mindset of a large proportion of the population. It is a deep-seated view which makes great meaning when you’re privy when politicians visit their constituency. Once elected, the people expect their representatives to solve all their problems. It may sound funny and ludicrous, but some go to the extent of requesting their elected officials to marry wives for them and take care of their offsprings thereafter!

    The big challenge, which we are not even tackling, is how to change this mindset. Earlier this month, the Army spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman revealed that some parents donate their daughters to Boko Haram for suicide missions. He appealed to religious, traditional and community leaders, and other Nigerians in the North-east, to dissuade people from such indoctrination.

    He said the appeal became necessary following revelations by some intercepted female suicide bombers during interrogations. “It was discovered that most of these hapless minors were ‘donated’ to the terrorist sect by their heartless and misguided parents and guardians, as part of their contribution to the perpetuation of the Boko Haram terrorists’ dastardly acts against the Nigerian society and humanity. The acts of these parents and guardians are not only barbaric, but condemnable and unacceptable.”

    If this is not a mindset thing, I don’t know what else to call it. Usman’s appeal that Nigerians have a responsibility and obligation to collectively mould “our children and wards and define a better future for them rather than condemning them to death by the criminal Boko Haram terrorists and their sympathisers through suicide bombings” should be embraced by well meaning citizens.

    It should be clear by now that beyond the visible leadership challenge we have as a nation, a critical challenge is the Nigerian himself. As we seek solutions to our leadership challenge, we should, at the same time, be seeking solutions on how to change the mindset of the average Nigerian in several ways.

    What, for instance, will be going through the mind of a parent who would be callous, wicked and insensitive enough to “donate” his daughter as a suicide bomber? What is going through the mind of a ritualist that kills a fellow human being just because he wants to get rich, or make others rich? What is going through the mind of the kidnapper who kills his victim after collecting the ransom money? What is going through the mind of a traditional ruler who gives a chieftaincy title to a well-known criminal? What is going through the mind of a religious leader who fails to question the source of a large sum of money donated to his place of worship? I can go on and on.

    The average Nigerian’s greatest limit is his own mind. What he thinks is possible and what he thinks isn’t possible. A man’s mind and therefore his mindset is his greatest indicator on the quality of life he chooses to live. His circumstances, his environment, everything can be overcome with the power of his mind. Does this mean that it’s easy? No, not at all; nothing worth doing is easy. This, to me, is where the critical challenge lies. Why would a group of people continue to vote for the same set of predatory politicians they know would further pauperise them?

    There have always been threats and less than ideal situations in our society. Nothing ever goes perfectly even in the best of times. However, regardless of whatever situation some societies have found themselves in they have found the strength to overcome and come out better for it. Whether it was war, economic depression, ethnic tension, genocide etc there are men and women, who through courage and boldness have galvanised others to overcome challenges. The people of Houston, Texas in the United States are currently encouraging and supporting each other after a devastating flood.

    There’s no doubt that Nigerians are one of the most resourceful and resilient people on earth, we can simply soak anything in, despite how painful it may be. But one area we continue to fail is in the area of the mindset. Why would an individual collect N1, 000 to join a rented crowd to “protest” in support of a corrupt politician? Agreed, there may be “hunger in the land,” but why not brace the “hunger” and keep your integrity intact?

    This is where I challenge civil society organisation to take up the challenge by addressing the mindset of the average Nigerian. People have been taught that they are poor victims and should be bitter and whine and complain rather than fix things. But this isn’t going to solve problems. I have seen communities rise up collectively to fix a road government has neglected. Such communities just try to find a way around a common problem.

    When people adapt the mindset of victims they become powerless and become things to be acted upon as they lose their will to fight and act by themselves. A victim mindset is cancerous and should never be tolerated. Whining about how things are and how they are supposed to be – like we do in Nigeria – doesn’t solve anything. It has rather been disempowering and building a deep chasm between us.

    The mind is the source of life; how it is treated leads to the quality of your life we live or choose to live. If gotten in check most things fall into place. Take a good look at some of the incredible technological advancements that have been made in the last decade and you’ll see the awesome power of the mind in play. From the smartphone you’re probably reading this article on to other innovation, the mind of someone conceived it. From indication, we would see more of such innovations.

    Already, country after country have set dates in which only electric cars would be sold, this ranges from 15-20 years’ time. I have yet to see any response from our policy makers. What will happen to our oil if fossil fuels are no longer relevant? The world is moving fast seeking alternative renewable energy while we continue to depend on the vagaries of the volatile international oil market to determine our future.

    The Mind is the master, our focus should be clear: attaining the right mindset. Without conquering the mind we will always live at the level we are. We will never rise to the level of greatness and fulfill our potentials. There’s so much negativity, rage, bitterness, hatred and anger in the land; and this has poisoned our society. Most of us have a fixed mindset when what we need is a growth mindset which gives us an optimistic outlook and a belief that great possibilities will lead to great things.

  • Fire razes Plateau poly female hostel

    Fire razes Plateau poly female hostel

    The female hostel in the Jos campus of the Plateau State Polytechnic was on Monday completely burnt down by fire.

    The fire, which started around 8.30 a.m., raged on till 11.44, throwing the entire school into confusion as students and staffers scurried to safety with some bold students making frantic but fruitless efforts to quench the inferno.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however, reports that no life was lost in the fire that gutted everything in the hostel.

    “Many students had left for lectures when the fire started; no one was around to remove anything from the burning hostel,” Yusuf Ade, a security man, told NAN.

    NAN also reports that the fire service personnel arrived the scene around 11.20 when the hostel had been brought down.

    Mr Dauda Gyemang, the Rector of the institution, who described the incident as “shocking”, attributed it to a gas explosion which occurred “at about 8.30 a.m.”

    “We thank God that no life was lost in the inferno, but nothing was rescued,” he said.

    Gyemang said that the incident was “a great loss” to the institution.

    “We shall move the students to another place because the building is completely burnt down. It is very devastating,” he said.

    The Rector wondered why the students were keeping cooking gas in the hostel, saying that it was against the school’s regulations.

    “The problem here is that students do not adhere to the institution’s regulations; they are not supposed to be cooking in the hostels,” he fumed.

    Gyemang said that the burnt building would be rehabilitated “in no distant time”, and urged the students to remain calm.

    The hostel’s Representative, Miss Christiana Azi, told NAN that students lost everything “including original copies of their credentials, clothes, food stuffs and other valuables”.

    “The incident is shocking and devastating. It will be very difficult to recover from it,” she said.

  • Thunderstorms, cloudy weather to prevail on Wednesday – NiMet

    Thunderstorms, cloudy weather to prevail on Wednesday – NiMet

    The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted morning thunderstorms over the Central states on Wednesday with isolated thunderstorms over Bauchi, Jos, Kaduna, Mambila Plateau, Bida, Ilorin, Lafia and Abuja later in the day.

    NiMet’s Weather Outlook by its Central Forecast Office (CFO) on Tuesday in Abuja also predicted day and night temperatures of 26 to 30 and 16 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    The agency predicted that Southern states would experience cloudy conditions over the southwestern cities with prospects of isolated rains over the Southeast during the morning hours.

    It also predicted prospects of rains over the region in the afternoon and evening hours with day and night temperatures of 27 to 30 and 21 to 24 degrees Celsius respectively.

    According to NiMet, Northern states will experience morning cloudy conditions over Sokoto, Yelwa and Gusau with prospects of isolated thunderstorms over Katsina, Kano and the Northeastern region.

    “During the afternoon period, Northeast and parts of Northwest Sokoto, Kebbi and Kano will experience isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon with day and night temperatures of 29 to 30 and 21 to 22 degrees Celsius respectively.

    “Increased atmospheric instability leading to buildup of weather systems over the Country is expected to enhance rainfall activities within the next 24 hours,’’ NiMet predicted.

     

  • Peace moves on the plateau

    Peace moves on the plateau

    After violent conflicts severely tested its claim to serenity, Jos, the Plateau State capital, may be about to reclaim its peace, thanks to a group of senior citizens. YUSUFU AMINU IDEGU reports

    There was a time when you could go to Jos and dream. Its clement weather was the clincher, cool and inviting all year round. The various ethnic groups that dot the plateau lived harmoniously with one another. No one was surprised when Plateau State claimed it was home of peace and tourism. Then, violence crept in, and Jos, the beautiful state capital, came under massive assault.

    The bloodshed has abated, thanks in part to peace-building processes and Governor Simon Lalong’s overtures. Now some elder statesmen have staked their claim and interest in the peace of Jos. They initiated an organisation called ‘Make Jos Great Again Forum’. The forum, according to the organisers, is to help Jos reclaim its status as “Home of Peace and Tourism”.

    Jos used to be home to all Nigerians and even foreigners alike. But since 2001 when a major conflict broke out, visitors changed their patronage of Jos as a second home. Apart from that, settlement within the city was restructured along religious lines. Muslims relocated to a particular location while the Christians also moved to a preferred area within the city. There were also areas certain categories of residents dared not go.

    Even with the conflict over since 2011, the city still remains polarized. That was why the seniors stepped in. Chairman of the ‘Make Jos Great Again’ forum, Chief Samu’ ila Danko Makama who is a former Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC) in a chat with The Nation in Jos gave an insight into the circumstances that produced the forum.

    He said, “Jos, the Plateau State capital, has witnessed so many crises in the past, between 2001 till recently. We witnessed prolonged insecurity that affected the state social and economic life. The state used to be called home of peace and tourism. But with the prolonged conflicts, the state was facing identity problem to the level that people began to doubt if Plateau is really home of peace and tourism. Jos the state capital was worse hit with the conflict. The citizens were divided, settlement was restructured, there were no go areas depending on your religion, your tribe and your political affiliation. And you know, wherever there is conflict there will be no development, no one can go out for business when you know your life is not secured, farmers cannot go to farm, the cattle breeders cannot move out to feed their cattle, in short the entire economy of such environment will collapse because people were just living in fear of the unknown.

    “So, most of us who were born and brought up in Jos began to put ideas together on how to bring back the lost glory of Jos. When I say some of us, I mean people like retired Col, Lawan Gwadabe, a former military governor of Niger State, Senator Jacob Tilley-Gyado, Aliyu Garba, Engineer Matthew Dogo, Nde Joshua Puka, Christabel Bentu, Lilian Kacholom Rwang, Odessa Chuwang, Prefessor Sylvester, Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande, Alhaji Saleh Hassan, Ambassador Musa Ilo, just to mention a few. These are some of the founding members of this forum.

    “We felt that Jos used to be a centre of attraction to people all over the country due largely to the cool weather and its peaceful nature, coupled with the fact that the people are so hospitable. So we began to think on how to revive the lost image of the state. We used to relate socially even though we came from different ethnic origins, but you realise that such mutual love and social life became difficult as a result of the crisis. We began to hear of ‘no go areas’ in Jos, some of us who enjoyed peaceful coexistence in those days could not believe there could be no go areas in Jos, but it is real. You will hear that the Christians no longer relate well with fellow Muslims, the Christian had to relocate to a particular section of the city and the Muslims did same, so one part of the city is predominantly Muslim settlement and the other part is predominantly Christian settlement. Jos city was compartmentalised as a result of the conflicts. We thought this is not good enough for peaceful coexistence, and should we just fold our arms and allow things go that way.

    “However, government, security agencies, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, religious organisations as well as community leaders have put up so much effort to restore peace in the state. But as leaders and statesmen, we decided to make our own contribution in the ongoing peace building, so as to sustain the prevailing peace across the state. We have formed a social media hash tag known as #makejosgreatagain#, we have established a WhatsApp platform, we have an administrator of this social media page which became a platform for all of us to interact on this project”

    The elder statesmen said though the present administration of Governor Simon Lalong has done so much to restore peace in the state and Jos in particular, there is still a lot to be done to sustain the prevailing peaceful atmosphere.

    Chief Makama said, “There is still a lot to do in peace building, any society that is just coming out of conflict might likely get back to crisis again if certain things are not done properly. We agree peace has been restored, but there could be bottled anger, people are still nursing pains as a result of lost ones, a lot of orphans are on the streets, you don’t know what is on their mind. The restoration of peace alone does not mean all is well, the peace building has to be holistic and this involves all stakeholders. In our own case, we are looking at issues that can bring people together to relate and mingle together without considering ethnic or religious difference, for instance, there are recreational and tourists centres in the state which serve as meeting points to youths and children during festivals, like Jos Museum, Gardens, Resorts, etc. We will try and renovate these centres and make them more attractive to youths.

    “We will begin by embarking on public enlightenment campaigns through the mass media, we have to preach peace, love, coexistence. We need to re-orientate our youths and discourage them from violence. We are going to do capacity building and empower the youths and other categories of citizens. We have plans to set up a micro-finance bank through which we can make credit facilities available for small-scale businesses. By doing so, we would have empowered the people economically and that will boost the entire economy of the state. We will focus on widows, orphans, physically disadvantaged, displaced persons. We shall also embark on renovation of schools for our children to go to school especially the indigent ones in Jos North and Jos South. Then we shall set up a foundation to be known as JOSIAN Foundation. The name is derived from the word Jos, Josians then means, citizens of Jos. With the foundation we shall provide scholarship to indigent children to go to school, some to acquire skills. We shall also try to provide social amenities where one is lacking especially medical services, water.

    “There are so many ways we can contribute our quota to the ongoing peace building, we have short term, medium and long term peace projects. Our overall goal is, never again will Plateau go back to violence again, never will there be bloodshed in Jos, henceforth, peaceful coexistence and mutual love is guaranteed. We must build on the lessons learnt from the conflicts, we have to join hands with other interested parties to make sure the prevailing peace is sustained.”

    The forum, from the structures laid down so far, is going to operate like a non-governmental organisation which is going to operate independent of government.

    Makama said, “We have set up various committees for the purpose of actualising our objectives, there are four committees, one is the finance and general purpose committee headed by Senator Jack Tilley Gyado, the planning and strategy committee headed by Col Lawan Gwadabe (Rtd), the peace committee is headed by Lilian Kacholom, and then the public affairs committee which is by Hon Dasuki Nakande. I, as chairman have inaugurated these committees and they have commenced work.  So the finance committee has submitted a proposal on how to raise funds. The original funds is coming from the founding members through voluntary contributions, it is our own way of giving back to the society. The planning committee is expected to give us the list of projects that requires immediate attention.”

    In spite of the set objectives of this forum, some residents in the state are suspicious of the group. There are fears that since they are not a political group, they are likely to be hijacked by government and be used for selfish political gains especially as the country approaches 2019 general elections.

    To allay this fear, Chief Makama said, “This group is neither political nor religious nor ethnic. Our membership cuts across all political divides. For instance, a former state chairman of PDP Raymond Dabo is a member, I am from APC, and all our members belong to various political parties, so this has already made it difficult to any government to hijack.”

    The chairman appealed to citizens of the state to key into the peace ideology of the forum so as to collectively restore the past glory of the state. The forum is also open to all citizens to join as members or contribute willingly to help actualise our projects.

  • Court remands man in prison for rape of two-year-old baby

    Court remands man in prison for rape of two-year-old baby

    A Jos Upper Area Court sitting in Kasuwan Nama, North Local Government Area, on Wednesday remanded one Hambali Musa, in prison for allegedly raping a two-year-old girl.

    The presiding judge, Suleiman Lawal, denied the accused bail, contending that the offence of rape was not bailable.

    Lawal adjourned the case till Aug.21 for mention.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Ibrahim Gukwat, told the court that one Aminun Musa reported the case on July 3, at Nassarawa Police Station.

    Gukwat said Musa, of Dulla Jos, reported that on June 29, his wife Layuza Lukman, informed him that the little girl jerked and cried endlessly when she tried to wash her private part.

    The prosecutor said when the toddler was asked what the cause of her pains was, she mentioned the name of the accused as the one who had carnal knowledge of her.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 283 of the Penal Code.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge, and his prayer for bail was turned down by the court.

  • Court remands shop owner for defiling six-year-old boy in Jos

    Court remands shop owner for defiling six-year-old boy in Jos

    An Upper Area Court in Kasuwan Nama area of Jos, has ordered the remand of a shop keeper, Sunday Aniagolu in prison custody for allegedly defiling a six-year-old boy.

    The Judge, Yahaya Mohammed, on Monday denied the accused bail and ordered him to remain in prison till Aug. 14.

    In denying the bail application, the Judge said an offence of rape by “unnatural means is not ordinarily bailable.’’

    Earlier, the police prosecutor, Sgt. Ibrahim Gukwat, told the court that one Maryam NaAllah of A4 Ali Kazuare st., Jos, reported the incident to the ‘B’ Division police station on July 17, 2017.

    Gukwat told the court that the complainant noticed that her six-year old child was behaving strangely and complaining of pains in the stomach and anus.

    The prosecutor said the boy was taken to Our Lady of Apostle hospital in Jos, where it was discovered that he had semen deposit in his anus.

    Gukwat further told the court that the boy had fingered the shop keeper of luring him to shop where he sexually violated him.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 284 of the Penal Code.

    Aniagolu, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, complained to the court that that the boy’s relatives had assaulted and beat him up over the alleged crime.

  • ‘Plateau women farmers can’t access agric fund’

    ‘Plateau women farmers can’t access agric fund’

    Some women farmers in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have said it has been impossible for them to access the federal government’s agriculture fund. The women said they have been marginalised by government agencies.

    Operating under an organisation known as Small-Scale Women Farmers of Nigeria (SWOFON), Plateau State chapter, the women growers said they were aware government launched a dedicated fund reserved for agricultural activities to be accessed through loans, grants or aids to farmers.

    The state president of SWOFON, Mrs. Mary Afan said, “As women farmers, it has been impossible to access the federal government agric fund; there is hardly adequate information to women on how to access the fund and other advantages provided by both state and federal government.”

    At a seminar, the group said, “SWOFON is a coalition of smallholder women farmers who formed themselves into cooperatives groups across the country, who are engaged in agricultural activities especially farming. Women farmers are not often involved in decision making and policy formulation at federal, state and local government levels, which is why women are not carried along in agric programmes in the country.

    “Agriculture, apart from the fact that it contributes 23% to Nigerian GDP, and also provides 88% of non-oil earnings, it remains the largest employer of labour with 2/3 of the country’s population. Women constitute 60-80% of the agro labour force in the country, yet women farmers have no access services of credit facilities, inputs, training, advise, technology, crop insurance, etc.

    “Women farmers are hardly considered to be given allocation of fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, feeds, seeds and seedlings. No capital, poor awareness, poor skills and technical support, poor excess to marker due to bad roads, and several other challenges.

    “Our predicament as women farmers originally began with access to land for farming, traditional, women in Nigeria have no right to land, land belongs to the men and women remain tenants in our own country. Even when we rent land to farm, women are so unsecured on the farm. We are being raped on our farms by men, we are being killed on the farm, this is more peculiar to states like Plateau where cattle grazers and farmers are at loggerheads,” she said.

     

  • Family doctor docked over alleged adultery

    Family doctor docked over alleged adultery

    Micheal Owoicho, a Jos-based family doctor, has been docked at a Jos Upper Area Court 1 in Plateau on allegations of adultery.

    Lawal Suleiman, Judge of the court sitting at Kasuwan Nama area of Jos on Monday, however, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000.

    He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of adultery brought against him.

    Part of the bail conditions was that he should produce a surety in like sum, who must be a lecturer with the University of Jos.

    The surety was also requested to produce two passport photographs and an identity card of the institution.

    The accused, a staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Medical Director (MD) of Elroi Hospital, had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

    The Prosecutor, M.M.Alex, had on arraignment told the court that one Maduabuchi Orji, the complainant in the matter, had reported the matter at the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Jos.

    He said that Maduabuchi reported that Owoicho, who was his family doctor, was having an affair with his wife.

    The prosecutor told the court that the complainant said that he had suspected that his wife, Ifeoma Sharon Orji, was having an affair with the family doctor for a long time.

    According to him, the complainant said that the accused had on diverse dates in the month of July 2015 to 2016, enticed his wife in his residence at No. UG/C/14, Utan GRA, Jos, and Silk Suites Hotels located at Zaramaganda, Rayfield Road.

    “The accused enticed, with criminal intent, the lawful wife of the complainant eliciting sexual intercourse with her,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Alex said that the offence was forbidden under the native law and custom of the Idoma people of Benue State (the accused’s tribe) and was also a criminal offence, contrary to and punishable under Sections 387 and 389 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

    The accused’s counsel, Izang Aware, had pleaded for bail for the accused, which was granted, the case was, however, adjourned to Aug. 30, for further hearing.

     

  • MMM donates  to orphanage home in Plateau

    MMM donates  to orphanage home in Plateau

    An orphanage home, Kingdom Kids Klub based in Jos, Plateau State, has been given a major face-lift through a generous donation from MMM Nigeria, an online community where participants provide and get financial assistance with their spare money.
    With the donation, the home which was founded on February 4th 2006 and duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission(CAC), got its dinning room painted in addition to provision of new dining room tables and chairs for the 54 children who are currently in the facility.
    The kids also got brand-new bedsheets and blankets from the donation.
    Aside the physical facelift given to the facility, caregivers, numbering 15, who work in the home, also got generous sums of money from the online community for the sole purpose of encouraging them to do more for the orphans.
    While commending MMM for the donations on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Directors and staff of the home, Sandra Chikan, global coordinator of the home, said the donation helped a great deal in making a difference in the lives of the orphaned and vulnerable children in the country thus helping to secure their future.
    Kingdom Kids Club is a one stop resource centre for children in Plateau State, founded for providing help and care to orphans and vulnerable children majorly through education and medical care.
    The club which started with 18 children now has 54 children in the facility and many more are enrolled in the villages at Riyom and i Local Government Areas of Plateau State.

  • Lassa Fever kills pupil in Jos

    One pupil of the Federal Government College, Langtang, Plateau State, has died of Lassa fever. Two others have been hospitalised.

    Commissioner for Health Kuden Deyin, who confirmed this to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday, said: “Yes, there was an outbreak of Lassa Fever at the Federal Government College, Langtang; it has claimed one life, while two others are in the hospital.”

    According to him, four pupils were rushed from the school clinic to the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

    “The pupils showed symptoms of Lassa Fever and we immediately took their blood samples to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, where three tested positive.

    “One of those who tested positive is dead, while the other two are still on admission at JUTH,” he said.

    Deyin said the government had met with the school principal and advised her to halt resumption from the mid-term break.

    The commissioner advised families with children in the school to observe them and report any symptom to JUTH, Plateau Specialist Hospital or the Bingham University Teaching Hospital.

    “Any child, who manifests symptoms of fever and bleeding from any part of the body, should be rushed to any of these hospitals for prompt evaluation,” he added.