Peace Declaration (by the Hausa Community)

Country/entity
Nigeria
Plateau State
Region
Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name
Peace Declaration (by the Hausa Community)
Date
18 May 2013
Agreement status
Unilateral document
Interim arrangement
Yes
Agreement/conflict level
Intrastate/local conflict
Stage
Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature
Inter-group
Peace process
Nigeria - Plateau State Process
Parties
Hausa Steering Committee:
1. Alhaji Umaru Sani, Chairman, [Signed]
2. Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Salihu Nakande, Vice-Chairman
3. Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Masallah, member, [Signed]
4. Hon. Nazifi Ahmad, member, [Signed]
5. Engr. Mansur Nakande, member, [Signed]
6. Engr. Hassan Hussaini (mni), member, [Signed]
7. Alhaji Baba Bala Muhammad, Secretary, [Signed]
8. Alhaji Danjuma Ibrahim B/Ladi, member, [Signed]
9. Alhaji Sani Mu’azu, Sub Committee Chairman, [Signed]
10. Alhaji Sani Mudi, member
11. Alhaji Haruna Tanko Wada, member, [Signed]
12. Bashiru Shu’aibu Jibrin, member, [Signed]
13. Alhaji Ibrahim Sale Hassan, member, [Signed]
14. Alhaji Muhammad Auwal, member, [Signed]
15. Alhaji Danladi Pasali, member, [Signed]
16. Hon. Aminu Baba, member, [Signed]
Third parties
Humanitarian Dialogue Centre, Geneva
Description
Agreement forms part of the choreography of unilateral pre-negotiation documents between communities of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, and is in the same document as the Fulani Declaration of Intent and Position Paper. In addition to the declaration of peace, the agreement contains a position paper by the Hausa. The declaration of peace contains pre-negotiation principles including a guarantee of rights for Hausa, reparations, the creation of a seperate district in Jos North, the implementation of teh 2011 White Paper; implementation of dialogue mechanisms in local and state government; grazing rights; the creation of an independent electoral commission; access on Jos highways; a halt on the denial of places of worship and education; access to burial grounds; increased representation in the security forces.

Local agreement properties

Process type
Formal structured process
Rationale
There is a supporting body in the form of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, supporting a series of dialogues across multiple areas in a two week period. These are clearly structured with clear aims around community driven resolutions and attempts at establishing clear process through encouraging inter-communal dialogue and conflict mediation processes across these various areas in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria, namely Jos and Plateau State in this instance.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
No
Link to national process: articulated rationale
n/a
Name of Locale
Jos
Nature of Locale
Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD)
9.836522, 8.880876
Participant type
Local community/civilian group(s)/civil society organisations
Mediator, facilitator or similar
Mediator or similar referred to
Mediator (references)
The text in this instance explicitly references the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre) as mediating this inter-communal dialogue as well as facilitating. It also sets out a similar introduction to the role of the HD centre as seen in the other dialogues in this series, stating that the centre started the process and facilitated it. This dialogue is part of a series of five, carried out in a two week period. In the introduction, the HD Centre is once again referred to in the context of the discussion where the composition and commitment of the steering committee is set out. The HD facilitators and representatives are also listed in this specific agreement text as: Dr. Philip Osoen and Dr. Andrew Ladley
Type of mediator/facilitator/similar
International or transnational actor

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)
Page 1, INTRODUCTION, ... the term ‘Hausa Community' in this write up connotes all those referred to as 'Hausa' in the former Jos Division which includes but is not limited to all Muslims and Other that are referred to as Hausas.

Page 2, STATEMENT OF FACTS, 9. ... There is a hate campaign going on by means or ethnicity and religion targeted to create suspicion mistrust and disharmony against Hausa Community.

Page 2, STATEMENT OF FACTS, 10. The average so called Plateau indigene have been sold a dummy by their leaders in Government and at community level that the Muslims in Plateau largely as so called settlers have plans to Islamise Plateau State through Jihad.

Page 4, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 8. ILLEGAL CONFISCATION OF EID-PRAYER GROUND AND MOSQUE, There a deliberate policy of encouraging Christian Communities to confiscate legally acquired places of worship like age old Eid Praying grounds in the former Jos Division as exemplified in the Muslim Eid Praying ground of Rukuba road and Tudun Wada Friday Mosque (All the six routes leading to the mosque have been deliberately blocked except one which also forms the only exit from the mosque) in Jos North and the 45 years Eid Praying ground at Barikin Ladi either on the pretext that the land was wrongly sold to community or through violent threats.
9. ILLEGAL CONFISCATION OF BURIAL GROUND
Similarly, the Hausa Community in Jos-North and Jos-South have been denied access to their traditional graveyards to bury their dead ones. The Muslims of Jos South have helplessly resorted to burying their dead ones inside their Mosque, which is already full. The Muslim burial ground in Tudun Wada has illegally invaded by the Christians who have started building houses on the field while the authority concerned, the State Government, remained carefree to neither salvage the situation nor allocate alternative land for Muslim burial despite the ardent need for it.


Page 5, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 10. HATE CAMPAIGNS, There is a deliberate use of religion and ethnic differences by the Plateau State Government and its elites using Churches, Community Development Associations, Media and Traditional Institutions to fan the embers of dispute, disaffection, suspicion and campaign of calumny against the Hausa Community in Plateau State.

Page 6, PEACE DECLARATION, 15. Finally, The Hausa Community strongly recommend that all Federal agencies, but especially security outfits be represented by both Muslims and Christians to lend credence to justice and fair play anywhere in Nigeria. This will aid the return of peace. As it is now, only in Plateau State can one find all the Federal Government established security outfits headed by only Christians, entrenching fear and suspicion by the Muslims and a semblance of official injustice.
16. Islam is a religion built on peace and justice. The religion calls on persons in authority to always be fair and just, to all manner of people under their authority. It also admonishes all its adherents to live peacefully among themselves and their neighbours. The Hausa Community therefore recommend that all communities beseech the Almighty God to guide and protect us all as strive to have a just and peaceful society at all levels.
Grievance List
Page 1, STATEMENT OF FACTS, 2. That as a result of these incessant conflicts, thousands of people have been killed or maimed and no arrests were made and where arrests were made, the people involved for one reason or the other were allowed to go free without being brought to justice.

Page 2, STATEMENT OF FACTS, 3. ... Our own means of livelihood and properties worth billions of naira were specifically targeted and destroyed through arson by ethnic militias and their collaborators. These acts of violence have created wide economic and social havoc among our people.
4. That over 40 established Hausa settlements were sacked and completely destroyed by the Berom Communities of Bukuru, Barikin Ladi, Riyom and other Berom dominated areas.
5. That there is mistrust, hatred and loss of confidence between the Hausa Community and the Plateau State Government through its discriminatory policies.
6. That several Commissions of Enquiry were established by the Plateau State Government to look into and recommend solutions to these crises, but due to the Iopsidedness in their formation, these commissions failed in doing anything concrete. In addition the commissions were designed to what the State Government wants them to do as an interested party.

Page 2, STATEMENT OF FACTS, 8. That since the beginning of this conflict, there had been deliberate use of the media, especially the State owned media (PRTV) and the social media to demonize the Hausa Community as well as incite and instigate other communities.
9. That there had been deliberate attempt to distort the history Of the Old Jos Division on the Plateau through several jaundiced newspaper articles and publications. There is a hate campaign going on by means or ethnicity and religion targeted to create suspicion mistrust and disharmony against Hausa Community.
10. The average so called Plateau indigene have been sold a dummy by their leaders in Government and at community level that the Muslims in Plateau largely as so called settlers have plans to Islamise Plateau State through Jihad.
11. It is on record that the Plateau State Government had never sympathised or apologized to the affected Communities for its failure to provide security for lost lives and properties since the inception of these crises.

Page 2, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 1. INDIGENESHIP, A claim over exclusive ownership of land by the Berom and some other communities against the Hausa degenerated into deliberate refusal to continue to issue indigene certificates to members of the Hausa Community. The use of the term indigene confers favours and gives greater access to state resources, such as school or university scholarships, jobs in the civil service, and even in the allotment of infrastructures. The present State Government has done nothing to redress the challenge

Page 3, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 2. SUBVERSION OF OUR TRADITIONAL LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES, There has been genuine yearning for the creation Of chiefdoms and districts by the Hausa and other communities that are adequately qualified due to the size of their population and economic viability but instead of creating them, even the age long traditional leadership structures that are in the statute books which clearly chronicled the Traditional Institution Of Sarkin Bukur belonging to the Hausa Community and also like that Of the Sarkin Jos which was later undermined and reduced to Magajin Garin Jos, and a host of other Ward Heads have not been appointed giving rise to suspicion and mistrust.

Page 3, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 3. POLITICS OF EXCLUSION, A deliberate State policy of excluding the Hausa Community from governance and socio-economic empowerment has been entrenched by successive administrations in Plateau State culminating in imposition of candidates in elections, marginalisation from appointive positions and manipulation of elections and malpractices...

Page 3, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 3. POLITICS OF EXCLUSION, ... The basic strategy of the exclusion of the Hausa Community in Plateau is the ascription of ‘settlership' to their status.

Page 3, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 5. DENIAL OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION AND ACCESS TO BASIC AMENITIES TO THE HAUSA COMMUNITY, ... the Family support model school in the Hausa Community area of Kerana, Bukuru, has remained closed for long while the authority had redeployed all the teachers to schools located in other communities. Several efforts by the Hausa Community to operate the school had been truncated by the authority. Similarly, the Sardauna memorial Secondary school in Jos North has suffered the same fate; whereas the school land has continuously been seriously encroached upon and the authority concerned keeps aloof. In addition, the Hausa community are also being denied primary health care, and other basic amenities in their areas. This is a deliberate denial of basic rights of the Hausa children to education as further demonstrated by total neglect of schools within their communities which are in total dilapidation and without teachers.
6. IMPUNITY AGAINST LAW AND ORDER, There is impunity by people especially within Berom Communities to commit crimes which includes ethnic genocides, murder, profiling, arson and other forms of destruction of properties with no law arresting them. Even those arrested are eventually allowed to go scot free as teams of lawyers engaged by the State are handy to set them free.
7. UNWARRANTED BLOCKAGE OF HIGHWAYS, That there is the practice of unwarranted blockage of the highway between Barikin Ladi/Kassa along Jos road, the Abuja-Jos Road and Bukuru-NIPSS Vom Road by irate Berom youths...

Page 4, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 8. ILLEGAL CONFISCATION OF EID-PRAYER GROUND AND MOSQUE, There is a deliberate policy of encouraging Christian Communities to confiscate legally acquired places of worship like age old Eid Praying grounds in the former Jos Division...

Page 4, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 8. ILLEGAL CONFISCATION OF EID-PRAYER GROUND AND MOSQUE, ... either on the pretext that the land was wrongly sold to community or through violent threats.

Page 4, THE ISSUES IN CONFLICT, 9. ILLEGAL CONFISCATION OF BURIAL GROUND, Similarly, the Hausa Community in Jos-North and Jos-South have been denied access to their traditional graveyards to bury their dead ones. The Muslims of Jos South have helplessly resorted to burying their dead ones inside their Mosque, which is already full. The Muslim burial ground in Tudun Wada was illegally invaded by the Christians who have started building houses on the field while the authority concerned, the State Government, remained carefree to neither salvage the situation nor allocate alternative land for Muslim burial despite the ardent need for it.
10. HATE CAMPAIGNS, There is a deliberate use of religion and ethnic differences by the Plateau State Government and its elites using Churches, Community Development Associations, Media and Traditional Institutions to fan the embers of dispute, disaffection, suspicion and campaign of calumny against the Hausa Community in Plateau State.

Page 5, PEACE DECLARATION, 8. The Hausa Community recommend that peace can be entrenched with the resuscitation of grazing reserves, and animal rights of way should be enhanced to curtail incessant feud between Fulani herdsmen farmers as fighting between them always affects the Hausa.
Cattle rustling/banditry

No specific mention.

Social cover

No specific mention.

Peace Declaration

We propose a way forward and a roadmap leading to a Peace Declaration as follows;

1. The Hausa Community should be guaranteed all the rights and privileges accorded all other ethnic groups in Plateau State as it is incontrovertible that they are bona-fide citizens and indigenes of the State.

2. The Hausa Community want their basic rights and privileges guaranteed and protected in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

3. The Hausa Community want cessation of all forms of discrimination by the Plateau State Government especially in areas of education, employment support such as poverty eradication and provision of social services and amenities to our communities.

4. The Hausa Community want a clear unreserved apology given by the Plateau State Government to all those affected by strife, as well as the resettlement of displaced communities back to where they were before the crises and granting of some form of compensation to affected victims of the various carnages who have suffered substantial damages and loss of bread winners.

5. The Hausa Community recommends that three (3) additional Districts be created in Jos North Local Government Area for Communities including our community while the District of Bukuru be resoted on the present occupant who was selected to the office by the Community since the death of former-District Head – Aljahi Sulaiman Mohammed who died in 2001.

Doing these will definitely restore confidence from perceived marginalization and entrench peaceful co-existence and harmony.

There is the compelling need to strengthen the Hausa traditional institutions in Jos, Bukuru, Barikin Ladi and Bassa, among others, as a way of cultivating early warning signals in times of crisis.

6. The Hausa Community recommend that carefully implementing the White Paper of General Abisoye and Solomon Lar Advisory Committee but especially the White Paper chaired by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in 2011 will go a long way in resolving most of the contending issues associated with the crisis and restore peace in our communities.

7. The Hausa Community recommend that Government at all levels should set up machinery for constant dialogue amongst the various communities as a way of engendering greater understanding and respect for one another in order to correct misconceptions to bring back peace and harmony.

8. The Hausa Community recommend that peace can be entrenched with the resuscitation of grazing reserves, and animal rights of way should be enhanced to curtail incessant feud between Fulani herdsmen and farmers as fighting between them always affects the Hausa.

9. There must be a level playing ground for all political contests devoid of rigging of elections and imposition of anointed candidates by Plateau State Government through Plateau State Independent Electoral Commission, PLASEIC, for peace to be restored which allows the legitimate exercise of constitution rights and democratic freedom.

Manipulation of laws or and creation of conflict as a means of disenfranchising our people should be stopped by the State Government and its agencies.

10. The Hausa Community want the practice of unwarranted blockage of the highway between Barikin-Ladi/Kassa along Jos road, the Abuja-Jos Road and Bukuru-NIPSS Vom Road by irate Berom Youths which is a serious threat to the peace process on the Plateau to be stopped.

11. The Hausa Community wants the denial and illegal confiscation of places of worship to be stopped and adequate protection for the exercise of religious freedom be provided for the sake of fairness and justice.

The Plateau State authority should intervene and ensure the safety of worship places across the State especially those at Rukuba Road and Tudan Wada in Jos North and that of Barkin Ladi LGA.

12. In the same vein, Denial oft eh right to Education and basic amenities to the Hausa Community should be addressed accordingly by the Plateau State Government through all agencies concerned.

13. The Hausa Community wants the issue of illegal confiscation of legitimately acquired burial grounds in Jos North, Jos South (Bukuru) and all other places to be addressed urgently.

The Hausa Community must be allowed to bury their dead ones at designated grave yards as a mark of assurance for peaceful co-existence.

14. The Hausa Community strongly recommend rebuilding of the Jos Main Market which was burnt in 2001 to alleviate hardship suffered by the people and assist in mitigating tension as a way of restoring peace.

15. Finally, the Hausa Community strongly recommend that all Federal agencies, but especially security outfits be represented by both Muslims and Christians to lend credence to justice an fair play anywhere in Nigeria.

This will aid the return of peace.

As it is now, only in Plateau State can one find allt he Federal Government established security outfits headed by only Christians, entrenching fear and suspicion by the Muslims and a semblance of official injustice.

16. Islam is a religion built on peace and justice.

The religion calls on persons in authority to always be fair and just, to all manner of people under their authority.

It also admonishes all its adherents to live peacefully among themselves and their neighbors.

The Hausa Community therefore recommend that all communities beseech the Almighty God to guide and protect us all as we strive to have a just and peaceful society at all levels.

This is the Hausa Community declaration of Peace.

Alhaji Umaru Sani, Chairman, [Signed]

Hon. Ibrahim Dasuki Salihu Nakande, Vice-Chairman

Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim Masallah, member, [Signed]

Hon. Nazifi Ahmad, member, [Signed]

Engr.

Mansur Nakande, member, [Signed]

Engr.

Hassan Hussaini (mni), member, [Signed]

Alhaji Baba Bala Muhammad, Secretary, [Signed]

Alhaji Danjuma Ibrahim B/Ladi, member, [Signed]

Alhaji Sani Mu’azu, Sub Committee Chairman, [Signed]

Alhaji Sani Mudi, member

Alhaji Haruna Tanko Wada, member, [Signed]

Bashiru Shu’aibu Jibrin, member, [Signed]

Alhaji Ibrahim Sale Hassan, member, [Signed]

Alhaji Muhammad Auwal, member, [Signed]

Alhaji Danladi Pasali, member, [Signed]

Hon. Aminu Baba, member, [Signed]