By Hassan Kato
Gonin Gora community which is situated on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis,is the gateway to Niger State, Abuja the Federal Capital Territory and in deed to the Southern States,as it’s to people traveling to Northern towns and States like Zaria, Kano,Kebbi, Sokoto.
Unfortunately it has acquired a contemptible reputation as a graveyard for innocent road travelers – Christians and Muslims who get caught up in crisis that they know absolutely nothing about. We must from the very outset agree that the reputation of a killing field is not a badge of honour that any community should or can proudly wear. It’s a badge stained with blood,that good people should distance themselves from.
On Friday last week the governor of Kaduna State Mallam Nasir El-Rufai on his way back from Abuja ran into a blockage mounted by the notorious “Gonin Gora boys”. In his characteristic manner he dislodged the mob which was already poised for real time action- the killing of innocent travelers to the acclaim of the would be victims.
Nasir El-Rufai stopping the Gonin Gora boys from attacking travelers no doubt helped in the management of the crisis,which would have spiraled out of control if the merchants of crisis had something to hold on to.
In kaduna State conflicts usually gets worse when either side embarks on reprisals and counter reprisals. In fact more people are killed in reprisal attacks, than in the initial attacks,which is why the effort of the governor in dismantling the road block deserves huge commendation.
But for that singular action, the Rigasa ,Western Bye Pass counterparts of the Gonin Gora boys in the business of attacking innocent people would have found some justification for their own actions.
The debate on Gonin Gora and indeed other flash points,which by the way was long over due, was triggered by an innocuous statement made by the governor during an interview with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria(FRCN) Kaduna.
Reproduced below is the transcription of Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s statement on Gonin Gora which some certified “trouble finders” have attempted to twist to suit their mischief.
He said and I quote “We don’t have any problem in Gonin Gora now. We will take appropriate measures to ensure that Gonin Gora is not a threat to Kaduna State and the people passing through that place. I am calling on the residents of Gonin Gora to call the youths of the areas to order and to ensure that they are law abiding, if not I can evacuate the entire community.
“We will not allow a situation where youths will block the road and be killing innocent. We will station security personnel to be patrolling the area, but they must stop that habit otherwise, we cannot allow that community to be lawless and a threat.
“They are not beyond the Government to handle. I am therefore, cautioning the people to be law abiding. But let me assure all commuters coming to or passing through Kaduna that Gonin Gora is safe. We have drafted soldiers and police to be in Gonin Gora permanently. In addition, there are other security personnel on patrol to control any act of lawlessness. May God grant us peace”.
Clearly there was no place in the interview where the governor unequivocally stated that he would demolish Gonin Gora. Precisely what the governor said was “I can evacuate the entire community”. The operative word is “i can” and not “i will”. And that even if he “would” evacuate Gonin Gora it would be more of a last resort occasioned by the failure of other steps, for instance the failure of the various engagement programmes aimed at peaceful coexistence.
In the same interview the governor had also announced a 24 hour security patrol of the area to ensure guaranteed free passage of people and goods. This clearly proves that the governor definitely hadn’t concluded abi nitio on the of evacuation of Gonin Gora without looking at other options of addressing the problem that is a nightmare to everyone including the residents of the community who are at their mercy.
Those who have made strident efforts at twisting the governor’s statement to mean the destruction of Gonin Gora , which he didn’t say,have in the process of defending the indefensible admitted to an incontrovertible fact that Gonin Gora is a killing field. Their anger is not that it has acquired that notoriety,but the failure of the governor to mention the other killing fields like Kawo and the Western Bye Pass , where like Gonin Gora innocent travelers are hacked down whenever the people of Kaduna State decide to hold their festival of stupidity.
What the “defenders” of Gonin Gora ought to have done was to first denounce and condemn the actions of the hoodlums,who in real terms endanger every Christian who must travel through several areas dominated by Muslims to their places of work or business.
They clearly fail to make the connections that “if our boys” kill Muslims at Gonin Gora, that “their boys” would retaliate in their areas of strength – a case of mutually assured destruction. In 2005 when Christian leaders without prompting denounced the provocative cartons by the Danish cartoonist,the move helped avert crisis in kaduna State which occurred in other states where Muslims protested against the portrayal of Prophet Mohammed.
Working together is what Kaduna needs to resolve the seemingly intractable conflicts that diverts attention from the positives. There is the need for honest conversations and pragmatic solutions to these conflicts,which are big blots on both religions.
There is this mistaken belief that responsibility for ensuring peaceful coexistence rests squarely on the shoulders of the government alone and the rest of the society spectators in a film that they in fact produced. The good people of Kaduna State must jettison the delusion that the responsibility for peaceful coexistence rests on Nasir El-Rufai alone and contribute their quota towards an enduring peace.
How can the government for instance stop a people who at the slightest provocation are at each other’s throat? How can a quarrel in a market lead to the kind of crisis that could have engulfed the entire state , but for the deft management of the crisis ? Where were the elders and men of goodwill at the market. Why couldn’t they intervene before the matter got out of hands? Questions and questions,which the people must provide answers to.
The elites must hide their heads in shame because the hoodlums have confirmed that they run the town,with their time tested formula. They have demonstrated this time without number that they can shut down kaduna State whenever they want, kill, loot and manipulate religion to cover their heinous crimes. And like fools adherents of both faiths will queue behind them.
Is it not a shame that hooligans locked down Kaduna,that they forced all the powerful movers and shakers of Nigeria either in doors or scampering to Abuja for safety? And unless we begin to act in concert against them,they will continue to set us up against each other. Like the governor rightly observed ” the hoodlums exploited the situation to engage in criminal activity and to violate the rights of other citizens”.
Moving forward the key priority is the creation of jobs for the millions of graduates and skills acquisition for those that lack education. Unless these hoodlums have a future and unless they are gainfully employed do they will continue to hunt us. The kaduna State government must ensure the criminals who perpetuated all manner of atrocities are punished according to the law as a deterrent. They must learn to use peaceful and lawful means to resolve differences.
To the “defenders” of Gonin Gora, remember while you defend Gonin Gora,that what Kawo is to you as a Christian,that that’s what Gonin Gora is to the Muslim.