The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Jos

  • PHOTOS: Jos bomb blast victims

    PHOTOS: Jos bomb blast victims

  • Breaking News: Explosions rock Jos

    Breaking News: Explosions rock Jos

    Scores of persons have been reportedly killed  in Tuesday’s multiple explosion in Jos, Plateau State.

    The bombs exploded in  the central areas of  the city at about 2:55pm in the afternoon.

    The incident happened at a densely populated areas of Ahmadu Bello Way where the city’s GSM market is located.

    Loud bangs were heard in Bukuru, which is about 20km from Jos city.

    A heavy explosion occurred at a populated shoe market section of Murtala Muhammed Way.  Another  followed 20 minutes later.

    After the explosion, human bodies and parts  littered the scene.

    Several victims did not survive the impact of the explosions. Many of them were severely burnt.

    NEMA, Red Cross and other humanitarian bodies  later packed bodies and body parts of victims to the mortuary.  There are more dead victims than the injured.

     

  • PHOTOS: Latest #bringbackourgirls protests

    PHOTOS: Latest #bringbackourgirls protests

  • NLC pickets Jos Electricity Distribution Company

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday picketed the Jos Electricity Distribution Company over alleged deunionisation of its workers.

    The state NLC Chairman, Mr Jibril Bancir, said in Jos that the congress picketed the company because it reneged on its earlier agreement with the management over the workers.

    Bancir said that the congress had appealed to the company’s management not to tamper with the status quo until all staff issues were amicably settled.

    He said the picketing would last for a week in the first instance.

    Bancir said that the picketing would continue pending the outcome of the meeting between the union, the company and the state Commissioner of Police, Chris Alakpe.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other issues being contested included casualisation and under payment of workers.

    Others are arbitrary increase of electricity tariff, sacking of union leaders after legitimate struggle for workers’ rights and non-metering of electricity customers

     

  • Jos community declares twoweek mourning over killings

    THE Aten people of Ganawuri in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State have declared a two-week mourning period over the frequent attacks and killings of their people by unknown gunmen. The people, who said they are already traumatised by the bloody attacks of the last few months, expressed their frustration in a statement signed by the President of Aten Development Association, Mr. Chom Bagu. According to Bagu, “We witnessed repeated attacks by our neighboring communities whom we thought are our brothers and with whom we share socio-cultural and economic relationship. “To be sincere, we are really traumatised by these bloody attacks, especially the violence that has engulfed Ganawuri between January 2014 and today. “We have therefore set aside the next two weeks to mourn our people who have fallen victims to the wickedness against us by the attackers. It will be a period to pray, heal and reflect on these sad events. The next two weeks have been declared a mourning period in our community. All manner of celebration has been suspended, all market to remain close with the exception of Church activities,” he said.

  • Women’s death causes tension in Jos

    THE discovery of two bodies in Bukuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, has sparked tension among residents.

    The bodies, identified as those of women, were discovered in Bukuru main town, an area mostly occupied by Hausa settlers.

    Though the victims’ identities were not known, the discovery raised suspicion that they may be Christians.

    This suspicion has pitched Muslims against Christians.

    Adherents of the two religions have been mobilising for a showdown.

    There has been no love lost between Muslims and Christians in Bukuru since the religious crisis of 2010, which led to several deaths.

    Both sides have often tried to stage reprisals.

    The unresolved conflict between the two groups has been reignited, with the discovery of the bodies last Sunday.

    Youths from Gyel and Bukuru central have assembled to fight.

    However, men of the Special Task Force (STF) on Jos Crisis code named ‘Operation Safe Haven’, have taken over the trouble areas.

    A source said: “Despite the presence of the Task Force officials, guns have been booming from both directions.

    “The depth of the cross fire has even forced the STF officials to thread with caution.

    “Gunshots became heavier on Monday. The situation has grounded businesses in Bukuru.

    “Banks closed businesses by 10am yesterday, schools were shut and motorists made efforts to avoid the areas.”

    Both the police and the STF confirmed the discovery of the bodies.

  • Turning Jos rocks into bread

    Turning Jos rocks into bread

    What will Jos, Plateau State capital, be without its rocks? Perhaps little more than a table land filled with people of different ethnic groups.

    Rocks are everywhere. They surround the city. In many cases, they separate one house from another, just as several homes are built on them. Some call the capital, city of rocks. Its home beer is called Rock Lager. Its football team used to be known as Rock Strikers. Indeed, what captures the image of the city better than rocks?

    But beyond the mere fact of their abundance, and perhaps that other under-utilised tourism potential, what have the people been making of the rocks? What use have the Jos rocks been? Haven’t people always perceived them as hard, impenetrable objects which often impede movement and even building?

    Well, not anymore. Some residents are learning to turn them into bread. Even the old have since discovered that if they cracked some of the rocks, they could make some money selling them to builders.

    In the southern Plateau, however, there is not much rock. Except for some parts of Langtang North, all the six local governments in the southern zone are devoid of the kind of rocks you find in the two other zones. This helps to explain why the physical and geographical settings of Plateau south is different from the other two: Plateau south is one part of the state that has hot temperature compare to Plateau North and Plateau Central that has cold temperature.

    The availability of these two extreme weather stood Plateau state out as a unique state in the country. If you feel too cold in Plateau North, which is JOS, you can shift base to Langtang, Shendam, Wase or Quan-Pan to feel the warm weather, yet, you are still in the same state, that is Plateau for you.

    But beyond the physical and geo

  • Cold weather sends Jos residents shivering

    Cold weather sends Jos residents shivering

    Residents of Jos, the Plateau State capital, are experiencing severe cold weather following the change of season four days ago.

    The weather took a very harsh turn from last Saturday to resume the original nature of the rocky city that has not been witnessed in recent times.

    The weather forecast by the Nigeria Metreological unit has put Jos weather as low as 13o Centigrade, the lowest in the last decade.

    The prevailing weather has forced residents to regulate their time of coming in and out of their houses. No more night crawling as residents round off their daily activities fast enough to return home at 6pm.

    Residents have said such harsh weather comes after a long interval and anytime it comes, deaths are recorded.

    At the moment, no residents will want to be outside after 7pm and it is highly inconvenient to come out of the house before 9am.

    Residents warm water to drink as the water is extremely cold to cause blood clot when taken in it’s natural cold nature.

    At day time, people rush to the popular Terminus market at the city center to buy thick socks and tick hand gloves as well as thick winter jackets which is the new sleeping gown for both young and old.

    Families have resorted to the use of electric room warmer to sleep comfortably. Those who cannot afford an electric room warmer go for charcoal which they light and place it at the centre of the room.

    Medical experts have warned residents to always keep themselves warm both day and night. They have also been warned against playing with cold water to avoid it’s attendance risk.

    Residents expressed happiness, at least, that children schools have closed for the year before the cold sets in, else it would have been impossible for children to attend school under the harsh weather.

    Most commercial tricycle and taxi close business as early as 8pm.

  • Jos: Once upon a model market

    Jos: Once upon a model market

    The Jos Main Market was more than a trading centre. It was also a tourist attraction. Visitors to the state stopped by to take in its beauty, its extensive size, to say nothing of its architecture. Then one day, the beautiful structure was all but reduced to rubble. Blame it on a mysterious fire.

    The market was one of two major reasons why people visited Jos, the Plateau State capital. The other reason was the unique cool weather.

    The beautiful, ultra-modern Jos market was located at the city centre of Jos.

    The market and the weather combined to make Jos probably the most beautiful city in the country, if not in the West Africa.

    The exclusive cool weather of Plateau is no doubt a natural phenomenon, but the Jos ultra-modern market was a very unique man-made beauty.

    When the market was constructed even up till 2011, one could not find its type in any state of the federation. The market had a unique design that made it the most attractive tourist site in the state. People travelled from all over the country to catch a glimpse of it. The tourism impact of the market was such that the federal government counted it as one of its topmost tourism destinations.

    The famous market was constructed by the first military administrator of the state following its creation in 1975, Police Commissioner Joseph Deshi Gomwalk. And indigenous Plateau leader, J. D. Gomwalk thought of a project that will stand the test of time as well as stand the state out. He then came up with the idea of the market. He began constructing it with conviction and maximum attention. Due to the complexity and vastness of the market, its construction lasted more than 10 years. It went on throughout the four years Gomwalk served as the first governor of the state. He handed the same market project to the first civilian governor of the state, Chief Solomon Lar in 1979.

    Considering the huge potentials of the market project, all the administrators who inherited the project cannot resist working for the realisation of the dream of the market. On completion, the market had shop accommodation for at least 3,500 traders. The open space at the base of the market was meant to accommodate at least 2000 shops. It was constructed with provision for banks, restaurants, police station, fire service station, post office, warehouses, car parks as well as office accommodation for market staff, among others. A huge amount of taxpayers’ funds and loans running into billions of naira went into the market project before its completion.

    But all of a sudden, this market that served as the pride of the nation went up in flames. It took the state fire service two days of intensive battle to put off the fire. When the fire was over, the market was no more, the most beautiful market in the country was gone. The market that took the state over 10 years to complete was turned to ashes by fire within 24 hours. The market lasted for only 17 years. The market got burnt in 2002 when the state was yet to recover its cost of construction. The state had not even paid back half of the loan it acquired from Mid-Land Bank when it got burnt.

    The cause of the fire disaster which occurred  in February 2002 remains unknown till date. Nigerians who either know or have heard about the market mourn its destruction. Former governor of the state, Solomon Lar, who played a positive role in completing the market, wept like a baby when he went to see the extent of damage to the market.

    The disaster sent thousands of traders out of business; it threw thousands of staff out of work, reducing the state tourism to nearly nothing and brought the state economy to its knees. Indeed, no other disaster has affected the state like that of the market. The total loss recorded in the market fire disaster cannot be quantified. Some traders committed suicide following the huge loss they encountered. A commission of inquiry was set up by the then Joshua Dariye administration to ascertain the causes of the inferno. The report of the commission never saw the light of the day.

    Knowing how the market had given the state national and global prominence, it was expected that the state government will move quickly to reconstruct the market considering especially it’s huge economic potential to the state. The state government made promises of reconstructing the market through public-private partnership, but eleven years after the destruction of the market, such promises have not been fulfilled by the state government.

    At the advent of the incumbent administration of Governor Jonah Jang in 2007, government made a proposal to demolish the remaining structures of the market, evacuate it and replace it with a shopping mall of modern and international standard. Jang is yet to offer any reason why he has not done anything on the proposed international shopping mall. But the government has offered reasons why the market will not be rebuilt at the same site. The governor is of the opinion that markets should be decentralised. Two, that such huge market complex at the city centre will cause congestions especially in Jos, the state capital.

    For these two reasons, government has encouraged the construction of two satellite markets in Jos. One is located at Rukuba Road, the other at Katako, both in Jos North Local Government Area of the state. The government also made deliberate efforts towards developing satellite markets in Bukuru, Farin Gada and Dadinkowa.

    Notwithstanding, the construction of the two satellite markets and hope of government to decongest the city center seemed to have failed to yield expected results for government. Thousands of traders have refused to vacate the premises of the Jos main market. Only few of them moved to occupy the satellite markets. The demise of the Jos ultra modern market has only created another ultra-modern problem for the state government. A visit to the market site in Terminus Jos shows the clusters of shops erected by traders at the foot of ruined market. Other traders who do not erect any structure takes on the streets to display their wares for sale. So much so, that vehicles contests usage of the roads with trader’s wares.

    Rather than going to the satellite markets and trade under a roof, traders rather rejected the offer and preferred to trade around the burnt market using umbrella as roof. Any visitor to Terminus today will behold a sea of umbrella roofs used as markets by traders. The umbrella roof remains the most prominent features at Murtala Muhammed way, Ahmodu Bello way, Tafawa Balewa streets, old Bukuru Parks, etc. These features provided by traders have made Jos city centre look like a huge refugee camp.

    This scenario was made possible with buyers trooping to Terminus daily to purchase wares. Today, 70% of buying and selling takes place in Terminus within the vicinity of the main market. In other words, the market that was a tourist delight in Jos is now a source of nightmare to government as activities around the ruined market site now constitute an ultra modern abuse of the state tourism potentials. The skeleton of the ruined market stands tall and it’s stores serves as bunks that provide  accommodation for all manners of criminals in the city.

    Now even amorous activities take place at night in the night. The edifice is also a den for rapists. Several teenage girls have been lured there and attacked. It is also a hide-out for armed robbers who converged there to plan and attack innocent citizens. Parts of the market have been converted to refuse dumps, some other parts used as public toilet by traders.

    The ruin of the market site is now a huge embarrassment to government and citizens of the state.

    As a matter of fact, the much talked-about Plateau State tourism was gone with the absence of the famous market edifice. Apart from the 2007 assurances of Governor Jang that his government will turn the ruin of the market into an international shopping mall, no action has been seen. It appears the Jang administration is keeping their plan on the market close to their chest.

  • Two killed,10 houses razed in Plateau

    Two people have been killed in fresh attack in Wase local government of Plateau state when unknown gunmen invaded the village early Friday morning.

    The gunmen numbering about twenty launched attack on Nbiyak village of Kadarko district of Wase LGA setting residential houses on fire and shooting sporadically as the residents make efforts to escape.

    Nniyak is said to be a community inhabited by the Tarok ethnic group of wase. At the end of the attack which lasted about an hour, two people lay dead.

    A member of the community Samuel Wuyep who confirmed the attack to THE NATION said, “There have been rumor that some people suspected to be Fulani were planning to attack our village, we reported the rumor to security agencies in the area but they ignore the threat. The attack was actually carried out as rumored and they killed two people, I also know some people are missing and have not been found.

    However, the special task force STF on JOS crises code named operation safe haven was not available to confirm the attack as the line of the STF spokesman, Captain Salisu Mustapha was not available.