More background on Nigerian riots and politics
An analysis from Cameron Duodu in The Guardian (UK) offers part of the bigger picture of the recent riots in Jos. This could be a good student reading, check it out.Tragedy in Jos
"Nigerians are still trying to come to terms with an ethno-religious riot that occurred in the city of Jos at the end of November...
"The riot took a form all too familiar in Nigeria. A local election was held; the results were trickling in and those who didn't like them spread a rumour that the election was being 'rigged by the other side'.
"This means Christians claimed that the governing party, the People's Democratic party (PDP), which Christians perceive to be on 'their side', was in the process of being robbed of the victory it had won. On the other hand, Muslims, who back the opposition All Nigerian People's party (ANPP), were being denied the chance of replacing the 'Christian' PDP.
"Now, in a city like Jos, the population is divided almost equally between Christians, Muslims and practitioners of indigenous religions which western anthropologists often misidentify as 'animism'. Many people were caught in between the two factions...
"[T]he head of a local council, for instance, can be decisive in determining where a school, a health centre or borehole will be sited – amenities crucial to the wellbeing of the citizenry as a whole. Christians suspect that a Muslim council overlord will look after areas where Muslim residents predominate before considering – if he does at all – the needs of non-Muslim areas. And vice versa...
"Even more important, the impression is widespread that only those of the particular religion which the men of influence in the local council subscribe to are awarded contracts. And contracts, invariably, come with kickbacks. So, in addition to religious passions being aroused in opposition to, or in defence of, an election result, money is used to "rent" crowds to try and produce the right result at election time..."
See also:
- More conflict in plateau state of Nigeria
- .Jos Crisis - We Lost All Say Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba Three reporters for Guardian (Lagos) offer first hand accounts of the results of the riots in Jos
Labels: cleavages, Nigeria, politics
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:07 AM
1 Comments:
From ThisDay (Lagos)
50 Foreign Nationals Arrested Over Jos Riot
"As the Administrative Committee of Enquiry set up by President Umaru Yar'Adua to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the Jos riot last month start its work, it has emerged that some 50 of the 530 persons arrested in connection with the skirmishes which claimed over 400 lives, were foreigners.
"Making the disclosure yesterday while receiving the primate of the Anglican Communion of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Jasper Akinola, the governor of Plateau State, David Jang said the foreign nationals were caught in Nigerian military and police uniforms, and were armed with guns..."
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