… As thousands hit Jos for carnival
Gyang Bere, Jos
Plateau State is best known as ‘Home of Peace and Tourism.’ Perhaps, those who dropped the tag were guided by some considerable factors. Chief of them is the state’s weather, which is largely supportive of many human activities, including carnivals and festivals.
Plateau State is also a serene area with accommodating people. It has numerous tourist sites. All these combine to make Jos, its capital, the Mecca of Nigeria, as it is always besieged by tourists who troop in to spend their holidays.
Jos is also favourable to many people from various parts of the country. For a long time, they have been coming to the city to make their homes and enjoy rich traditional festivals which between the 1970s and the late 90s were celebrated in grand style.
Unfortunately, some people would say, that friendly disposition of the indigenes of the state was at some point taken for granted and seemingly abused by some individuals who perhaps did not have respect for the cultural values of the indigenes. This had sowed seeds of discord that robbed the state of its popular “Home of Peace and Tourism” tag. From then on, the peace of the state began to fall apart, leading to the 2001 violence that rocked the state.
Unfortunately, too, the crisis that engulfed Plateau State at that time continued for a while, with some religious colouration. It later assumed political dimensions with the conduct of the 2008 local government election in the state during which several lives were lost.
But now, many believe that, since Governor Simon Lalong assumed office in 2015, the political narrative of violence has begun to change. There has been a genuine dialogue among various ethnic groups. The Berom and the Fulani in particularly which have had very rough patches in the past have been engaging in discussions.
The dialogue among various warring groups and stakeholders has largely halted the orgy of violence among the poor citizens and stopped most of the gory killings of innocent persons. So, the cycle of insecurity across the state is gradually becoming history, though there are occasional skirmishes.
Interestingly, various ethnic festivals have now been resuscitated. One of them was the annual Nzem Berom cultural festival that was suspended eight years ago. The clamour for the relocation of Federal Government institutions and parastatals in the state by some individuals due to security concerns has now died down.
The recent launch of Plateau Road Map to Peace by President Muhammadu Buhari, it is also believed, has strengthened the peace architecture in the state, thus enabling the people to organise the famous 2018 Jos carnival on Saturday, May 11, 2018.
The tourist event was introduced by Lalong in 2017 as part of his administration’s effort to attract local and foreign investors to do business via the huge tourism potential of the state. It was also intended to inform the world that the state had reclaimed its pride of place as “Home of Peace and Tourism.”
Daily Sun learnt that the carnival aimed at showcasing the huge tourism potential in the state and to spur the youths to develop their creative talents and convert them into opportunities for self-employment.
Lalong, who was part of the carnival at every stage, participated in a road show on major streets of Jos. During the occasion, the participants displayed the rich cultures of various ethnic groups and other traditional institutions in the state. It was an effort that generated fun and excitement among the residents and many who watched it live.
It was observed that people from neighbouring villages – men, women, children and youths – defied the downpour that day to join Lalong and his wife, Regina, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Yakubu Dati, and other state executive council members to stage the event.
The procession, which began with a five-kilometre walk, led by the governor, terminated at the Rwang Pam Township Stadium, Jos, with a large turnout of people. It featured cultural parades by different ethnic groups. All that triggered excitement among the people.
Lalong on the occasion revealed that he was determined to reduce the pain of the people by uplifting the quality of life of the vast majority who were willing to venture into creative and other genuine activities for their livelihood.
He said: “Ours is a promise to create opportunities, not just for those with the money and influence, but for every Plateau State citizen who desires to live a meaningful and productive life.
“Agriculture is no doubt a key area where we have to show competence when compared with other states in the country. So, we must take advantage of it to expand our personal income, state revenue profile and guarantee national food security.
“All the value chains in the agricultural sector that the state has keyed into are available for all citizens of the state to take advantage of. I want to encourage the youths to explore the opportunities that exist in the agricultural sector for their economic emancipation.
“While we nurture the talent which we are endowed with as young people, we must make the best out of what is already within our reach in the agricultural and tourism sectors.”
Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Hospitality, Mrs Tamwakat Weli, informed that the peaceful environment so far created by the government had continued to attract tourists from within and outside the country.
She applauded improvements made by the organisers of the event and promised that next year’s edition would witness tremendous improvements.
The carnival featured cultural displays, group choreographies and spectacular stunts by youths. The chain of events during the carnival had attained its climax with the arrival of Lalong, who was accompanied by a colourful convoy of bikers.
The event was rounded off with a grand performance by the artiste, Ice Prine Zamani, to the delight of fans.
The correspondent learnt that the Jos Carnival, which started two years ago, has gained attention as a major tourism event in the state. The annual event provided jobs for youths from the 17 local government areas of the state who were part of activities at various levels, including planning and stage performances.