Nigeria Content Online

The federal government has said it is determined to stop the killings and intractable violence in Jos and its environs. The government stance was made public by our acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, when he received the interim report of the Presidential Committee on the Jos Crisis.
Mr. Jonathan expressed deep concern over the reoccurring crisis in the area, saying, “We just cannot continue like this.”
According to him, there is a lot of aggression and lawlessness in the area but the federal government is determined to bring it all to an end.
Earlier, the chairman of the committee, Solomon Lar, told the acting president that a full report will soon be submitted, explaining that the committee still needed input from critical segments of the society to finalise the document.
The closed door meeting also had in attendance the Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the meeting, Mr.Jang, said he was at the presidential villa to give a detailed briefing to Mr. Jonathan. “I came to brief the acting president on the latest situation and how far we have gone.” He said he believed the situation will get better, particularly with “the additional forces sent in for deployment in all the various localities to ensure that lives and property are protected.”
Mr. Jang went on to say that other steps are also being taken to ensure that peace returns to Plateau State. “We have started talking to various groups, particularly the Fulanis who have been living here for so many years,” he said.
In explaining the close and good relationship that previously existed between the Fulanis and other tribes in Plateau State, Mr. Jang drew on his own personal history.
“I was born in a neighbourhood of the Fulanis. The neighbour of my father was a Fulani man and I grew up with his children and even went to tend his cows. And if you look at my age now, around 66, then you would understand how long the Fulanis have lived around the Berom and other indigenes of Plateau State.
“We can never wish each other away. You don’t even know the difference between the Fulanis and the natives who are cattle rearers. We want peace on the plateau. We want to live as brothers and sisters. We are Nigerians and we must be able to live together.”
Mr. Jang, however, didn’t seem unaware of the difficulty and enormity of the task of ensuring continuing peace in Plateau State. According to him, “As you know, you can win a war but you cannot win peace, not easily…. People are still bitter with each other but it takes time to win peace.”
Mr. Lar, who also spoke to the press after the meeting, said, “We have come to see him and report to him the progress so far made about the crisis in Jos. As you know, some time in Jos, to be precise January this year, as a result of the fighting that broke out, the acting president appointed a presidential advisory committee to look into the matter and find practical solutions to the problem and later report to government and this is what we have come to do–to report so far the progress made.”
When asked about the details of the interim report they submitted to the acting president, Mr Lar said, “The progress so far made is submitted to him and we would not give it in bits but the president would let the nation know that later, after we have concluded.”
On why the committee decided to present an interim report when they were given two weeks to work, Mr. Lar said it became necessary because of the outbreak of fresh crisis in the state.
In the last 10 years, Plateau State has, at various times, experienced violent clashes between the Muslim and Christian population, which are also loosely divided along ethnic lines. The sectarian killings in the last decade have claimed thousands of lives.