EVALUATION OF PLATEAU STATE GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE TO ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN JOS

Abstract

Human history generally has been history of conflicts interests and values expressed in varieties of inter and intra-ethnic, religious, class and regional conflicts etc. Conflict, be it religious, ethnic or class is impossible to occur unless, there exist incompatibility between the different values, desires or the needs of the people that co-exist. The motivation to undertake this study stems on the premise that mutual coexistence and sustainable holistic development in any given democratic society is achievable only in the face of peace and justice generated through good political will by the players of governance using the instrument of rule of law. The experience of Plateau State in central Nigeria is on the contrary as the rights have been taken away by lawless ethnic and religious extremists as ethnicity and religion have become lethal weapons of war, yet the performances of successive democratic administrations in the State. Commissions of Enquiry were constituted, and saddled with the tasked to investigate the causes of the conflicts, identify persons or groups responsible for the conflict, and establish the extent of the damage to properties and loss of lives and to suggest or recommend ways to prevent future occurrences. Unfortunately, those commission’s reports, suggestions and recommendations were not strictly implemented as expected. The researchers evaluated the patterns and extent of damage the conflict have mated on the state and the response of the government to those ethnic and religious conflicts and recommend solution to the problem.