For sure, terrorists did their worst, plunging Plateau State, the home of peace and tourism, into crises. But it has clawed its way back from the brink.
For two years now, there has been a good measure of stability, even growth. Many towns in the state are fast taking on the status of mega cities. Jos, the capital, is an example. Bukuru, headquarters of Jos South Local Government Area is also becoming another big city. Most of the local government headquarters like Bassa, Riyom, Barkin Ladi and Mangu have been witnessing population explosion over the past two years.
Jos-Bukuru metropolis which comprises Jos North and Jos South local government areas is also witnessing population explosion within a spate of two years of its recovery from crises.
This is the city that was almost deserted and forlorn between 2001 and 2008 when violence reached its peak.
Curfew, state of emergency, silent killings and other atrocities combined to make life in the city a regimented one. This situation resulted in many residents seeking alternative place of abode outside Jos. That was when many residents of the city were forced to go to bed by 6: 00 p.m. daily. This state of affairs lasted for over six months between the last quarter of 2008 and first quarter of 2009.
That was then. Today, Jos the state capital is becoming bloated with population as a result of the peace that has returned to the city since 2010.
Those residents who fled the city when violence reigned did not only return en masse, thousands of other Nigerians displaced from their states in the north by insurgents also ran to Jos to take refuge.
As at the last quarter of 2010 when insurgency swept through most states of the North, Plateau State had already achieved peace and Jos became the ideal destination for citizens of North-eastern Nigeria who fled their zones as a result of activities of the dreaded Boko Haram.
At a point, over 4,000 Christians who are indigenous to Damaturu, Yobe State fled to Jos for safety. They claimed they escaped to Jos from Boko Haram bullets. A lot of families also left Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to reside in Jos. With what was happening in Maiduguri, Jos became a haven of peace.
With the new wind of peace blowing across the city of Jos and its environs, the city has returned to its usual hustling and bustling status. Business activities rejuvenated in full swing beyond government’s expectation. Today, it is hard to convince visitors to the city that Jos is a city recovering from myriad of crises.
The current source of worry in Jos is that of congestion which resulted from human and vehicular traffic that is on the increase. Both private and commercial owners of vehicles battle daily to determine which street to avoid and which street to ply. Many residents planned to avoid the busiest streets like Ahmadu Bello Way, Murtala Muhammed Way, Tafawa Balewa and Bauchi Road, among others.
In spite of the decentralisation of Terminus Market, the central areas remain the busiest streets in the city as most businesses are concentration in these areas. Following the congestion that has become a daily feature of Jos, Governor Da Jonah David Jang has been making frantic efforts to make the state habitable for all.
Some of the measures he has taken to this effect are conversion of most streets to dual carriage ways and the construction of new roads at the suburb. This has been government’s deliberate policies aimed at decongesting the city centre.
In addition, there are several committees and task forces in place whose responsibility is expansion of the city. For instance, there are task forces on city renewal, internal revenue generation and street and house naming, among others. Mr Chris Kwaja who is the chairman of research sub-committee of the street naming and house numbering task force said: “The state government, in responding to current socio-economic challenges of the post-conflict life of the state, has set machinery in motion to reposition the state particularly Jos that is fast becoming a mega city.
“Some of the advantages of these policies are crime control, conflict resolutions; conflict management, boosting developments, creation of data for easy public administration, management of urbanisation, emergencies and provision of social services, among others.”
Continuing, he said: “Already, this administration has come up with a new Greater Jos Master Plan on which all developments would be based. So, this committee is working in full compliance with the provisions of the new Master Plan. We are going to work mostly in conjunction with traditional rulers who are the custodians of culture and traditions of the people, as well as various stakeholders to play key roles in the project.
“The street naming will showcase the cultural heritage of people of Plateau State as well as the history of the state. Some of the existing street names that have no relevance to the state’s history, culture and tradition will be changed.
“The research committee is also in consultation with some states across the country to see their various models of street naming and house numbering. At the end, we should be able to come up with the best formula to enable government to reposition the city.
“The state has a legal framework in the form of Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) which is a creation of the state House of Assembly. We are even contemplating changing the name of JMDB to reflect the new challenges.
Instead of calling it Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), it may be called Plateau State Metropolitan Development Board (PSMDB).
Kwaja confirmed that the street naming and house numbering project will be completed before the end of Governor Jang’s administration in May, 2015.
