[b][/b]The Rebirth of Ethnic Tensions in Mile 12 Market: Hold Government Responsible
Just recently, I was amongst those who commemorated and celebrated the sixteenth year anniversary of the peace enjoyed in Mile 12 market after the last ethnic attacks in November, 1999 with a research titled ‘Hausa/Yoruba Conflicts and Peacebuilding Initiatives in Mile 12 Market, 1999-2014’. The research was carried out to assess the causes of conflicts between Hausa and Yoruba, the peacebuilding initiatives implemented and the challenges to peacebuilding in Mile 12 market.
To me, the rebirth of ethnic tensions in the market and its environs is not something that is shocking but rather it is an evidence of governments failure to adequately cater for its citizenry and this new wave of conflicts should therefore serve as a wake-up call for both local, state and national government to live up to its social responsibilities.
Over the years, the Lagos State Government has failed to devote concrete attention and efforts towards peacebuilding in the market. Whenever there is a collision between ethnic groups in the state what government does is to cease hostilities using military capacities and force parties to negotiate agreement without tracking, monitoring and committing resources to the peacebuilding process in the area.
Following the end of violent attacks between Hausa and Yoruba in the market in 1999, government has done practically nothing in building peace within the market. Apart from forcing an agreement on market leaders and setting up of an Inter Ethnic Forum which was short lived, most of the peacebuilding initiatives responsible for the stable peace enjoyed overtime in the market were put in place by the stakeholders (market and religious leaders) in the market.
In the wake of call by some members of the Lagos State House of Assembly to relocate the market, it is important to point out that it is not the market that is responsible for the ethnic conflicts in the area. Relocation of the market to any part of Lagos State is not a guarantee for peace in the area. Though it may ease the traffic problem experienced along Ketu-Ikorodu axis but ultimately it will not ensure peaceful coexistence between the ethnic groups. It is important to note that contact between Hausa and Yoruba or any other ethnic group by itself cannot generate ethnic tension but rather it is the socio-economic context of their contact that generate ethnic conflicts.
Some of the triggers of ethnic tensions in the area include lack of social amenities. As at today, the market lacks good road network, public toilets, health facilities and so forth. In one of my visit during my research, a trader lamented that toilets within the market are privately run. She argued that there was a day she visited the toilets four times in a day and she was charged N50 for each of those times, totaling N200 in a day.
As if that is not enough, conflict and dispute resolution mechanism in the market has been commercialized. The aim, instead of resolving conflicts, restoring and building relationships has been focused on generating revenues for market leaders and government. Traders are charged before issues of conflicts and disputes are entertained and resolved. This has been largely responsible for traders not to willingly report disagreements and conflicts to appropriate authorities.
The recent ethnic clash in Mile 12 is not because Hausa are blood thirsty, neither is it because Yoruba are not accommodating. Nigerians should not be deceived to agitate along illusionary ethnic lines. Reducing explanations of ethnic conflicts to primordial causes implies sheer ignorance. Truly ethnic diversities are natural, local, state and national institutions must play important roles in regulating the level of the conflict potentials of ethnicity, government must provide adequate social amenities to the people, set up a permanent inter ethnic forum charged with the responsibility of orientating Nigerians on the need for oneness and peaceful coexistence and establish an early warning mechanism to spotlight conflict flashpoints.

Really

Disappointed


I thought there is a fresh massacre in mile12