Governor Cries As Women, Students Protest In Jos

Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau broke into tears in Jos on Monday while addressing thousands of  protesting women including female students of University of Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the women, who were clad in black and sang sorrowful  songs, were protesting against the incessant attacks in the city.

NAN reports that no fewer than 5,000 women and female students staged the peaceful protest against  the attacks, which lasted several hours.

Our correspondent reports that the governor was particularly disturbed by the wailings of the women  and female students, most of who rolled on the ground.

Jang’s wife, Ngo Talatu, who had joined her husband to welcome the protesters, could not hold her  emotions as she kept sobbing throughout the period her husband struggled to address the women at  the State House.

The spokeswoman of the protesting women and students, Mrs. Rhoda Wal, lamented what she called “the  persistent attacks on innocent women, children and students” in the protracted Jos crises.

“Innocent and harmless women, children and students are being killed in the attacks in our  communities and nobody is doing anything about it.

“Few attackers were arrested but that was the last that we heard about them while our sons who are  defending their communities are indiscriminately arrested and put in prisons,” she alleged.

The women also lamented that they and their children were no longer safe in their homes and in the  markets and urged the appropriate authorities to do something urgent to address the situation.

They also protested against continued presence of the Military Special Task Force (STF) and urged  the Federal Government to reconstitute the force as the current military were allegedly biased.

The protesters alleged that a section of the Jos communities and places of worship were being  protected with armoured tanks and heavily armed security personnel while other areas were exposed  to attacks.

“Market women are not safe in their markets and children are not safe in the schools; the majority  of casualties in the Christmas Eve bomb blast in Kabong were women.

They demanded the immediate relocation of the Farin Gada tomato market, Angwar Rogo settlement and  Bauchi road motor park, saying that they constituted security threats to the university  communities.

They also challenged Gen. Yakubu Gowon, retired military officers, former governors and traditional  rulers in the state to as a matter of urgency mediate in the crisis.

In his response, Jang, who managed to control himself, alleged that the continued crisis in the  metropolis was a ploy to disrupt the ongoing voter registration and forthcoming general elections.

Jang said that Plateau and Federal Governments were working on a security outfit, “Operation  Rainbow”, to take over the maintenance of security in the state from the military.

The governor said that the outfit would comprise police, retired military officers and villagers,  who would be trained to provide security for their various communities.

The governor appealed to the protesters to be patient with the military, saying that they were  humans and not saints, an appeal the women rejected with resounding chants of “no”.

Jang promised the women that all markets close to the University of Jos would be relocated to  ensure the security of students and staff, especially since the university had scholars from all  over the world.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Istifanus Mwansat, had earlier told the protesters  that the legislature was working with the executive to find lasting solution to the crisis.

“I will personally take your protest and demands to the Senate President David Mark and Speaker,  House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole,” Mwansat said.

NAN further reports that the protesters had earlier stopped over at the state Police Command  headquarters where they presented their grievances to the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdulrahman  Akano.

They also commiserated with the police head over the lynching of a police officer, Cpl. Jacob Mada,  during an attack on Yelwa village behind the university on Sunday.