Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State

United States-based human rights group, Human Right Watch (HRW) has attributed renewed violence and incessant killings in Jos to the failure of Plateau State and Federal Governments to implement findings of different committees earlier set up to investigate the recurring outbreaks of violence in the city.

In its seven-page report containing different witness accounts of terror unleashed on the people of the state in the last decade, the body said the governments “have not only failed to tackle the root causes of the violence, but have also failed to break the cycle of killings by holding those responsible to account”.

The report, which was titled Nigeria: New Waves of Violence Leaves 200 Dead and authored by HRW West Africa Senior Researcher, Mr. Corinne Dufka, said the federal and Plateau State governments “have set up various committees and commissions of inquiry that have examined these issues, but the reports from these bodies, and the occasional government white paper, have mostly been shelved.

“Despite repeated outbreaks of violence, the government has largely ignored the findings and failed to implement the recommendations. In all but a handful of cases – 17 Hausa-Fulani men were convicted by the Federal High Court in Jos in December 2010 – the perpetrators have not been brought to justice.

“The Federal Government, however, has taken some steps to beef up security in Jos and surrounding communities since early 2010. While the military presence has had some effect in deterring and responding to attacks, the underlying causes of the reoccurring outbreaks of violence remain”.

The report also frowned at the refusal of the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to allow Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon on the Prevention of Genocide, Mr. Francis Deng, to visit the state capital and all the affected communities.

-ThisDay

Posted by admin on Jan 30 2011. Filed under Plateau, State News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry