A group in Plateau State known as KPFAN has scolded former governor Jonah David Jang for his stance against a court decision that recognised Hausa indigeneship in Jos North Local Government Area on the basis of birth and long-term residency.
In a statement released in response to the verdict on Saturday, Jang had warned that the decision will have far-reaching effects on indigenous peoples’ rights, cultural traditions, and the very essence of the state.
As the former governor pointed out, the state’s citizenship, residence, and indigenship issues have raged on for decades, and he questioned why the court should rush to a conclusion on a subject that could inflame tensions even more.
He stated that changing the current system could lead to conflicts and a loss of rights for indigenous communities in the state.
On Sunday, the Fulani group’s National Publicity Secretary Haruna Idris Bayero released a statement that contradicted the elder statesman. In the statement, Bayero characterised the elder statesman’s objection to the ruling as detrimental to the unity of the people and the fragile peace in the state, in addition to being regrettable.
The Nigerian Constitution forbids discrimination based on religion, national origin, or ethnicity and assures equal rights to all citizens, according to Bayero, who claimed that Jang’s position violates these provisions.
The statement stated that the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria (KPFAN) is deeply disappointed and shocked by Senator Jonah David Jang’s recent statements against the granting of indigene certificates to Hausa/Fulani citizens of Plateau State. Jang served as governor of Plateau State.
Bayero continued by saying:
In addition to being an unpleasant and perhaps dangerous remnant of ethnic exclusivism, his position goes against the explicit provisions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constitution (1999, as amended).
Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution forbids discrimination based on religion, national origin, or ethnicity; Senator Jang’s position contradicts this provision.
All Nigerians, including Hausa and Fulani families who have resided in Plateau State for many years (some for more than a century!), deserve to be acknowledged as genuine citizens of the place they call home, where they make contributions, and where they pay their taxes. Citizenship should not be bestowed according to narrow allegiances.
Over time, fellow Nigerians have used the indigene-settler divide as a weapon to marginalise them. Plateau is home to numerous Hausa and Fulani populations that have made significant contributions to the state’s culture, economy, and security, as well as to the location of their ancestral tombs. It is a historical injustice to deny them credentials solely because their great-grandparents migrated before the state was created.
The fact that violence in Plateau State has occurred in cycles is old news.