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Assessment of Communal Conflict as Bane to Socio-Economic Development
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 Background to the Study
Conflicts since time immemorial have
been a common phenomenon in many regions of the world especially in places of
structural inequity and unequal distribution of resources and power. It is a
situation with at least two identifiable groups in conscious opposition to each
other as they pursue incompatible goals. The communal conflict toll on
socio-economic development across the globe has become a serious concern to
researchers because of its far reaching proportions. Either the developed or
backward states have had their own dose of conflict blazes. Black and White
conflict in United State of America (USA), Anti-Chinese riots in Indonesia, and
Shi’it-Sunni skirmishes in Pakistan are some of the examples of conflict,
xenophobic conflict in South Africa against the national (particularly
Africans) of other countries. However, the un-ending harvests of communal
conflict is not dressed in the gab of Nigerian Flag of green white green rather
it resonates beyond its shores and across the continent of Africa. The
Tutsis-Hutus Rwandans‟ genocide, the protracted North –South Sudan confusion,
apartheid reign in South-Africa where South Africa lost 14,000 people due to
racial and communal violence which was part of the transition to majority rule
between 1990 and 1994, the continuous butchery in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DCR), the Al-Shabab insurgency in Somalia, the Liberian upheaval are proofs
of conflict in Africa. Many contemporary Nigeria communities have experienced
several cases of communal conflicts. Some of the notable examples include; the
Zango-Kataf conflict in Kaduna State (1999-2001); Tiv-Jukun Wukari conflict in
Taraba State (1999-2001); Itsekiri-Urhobo Warri crisis, (1999-2000).
Aguleri-Umuleri Conflict in Anambra State; Ife- Modakeke crisis, Yelwa-Shendam
conflict (2003- 005), Mangu-Bokoss crisis (1988-1999). It is as a result of
these that Segun (2013), argues that; …of all these conflicts, communal
conflict has manifested itself as the most serious issue next to
ethno-religious conflict in the democratic era in Nigeria.The violent trend of
communal conflict is replete with routine disruption of primary and
reproductive healthcare or inaccessibility of healthcare in the heat of
conflict situations, low production in companies, reduced sporting and
tourist‟s activities etc. (Ohikere, 2012). Economically, communal conflicts
outbreak has been burdensome. In terms of national economic loss, the roll is
quite revealing of the depth of loss involved in communal clashes nationwide.
In fact, a total of N150 billion oil revenue has been deferred and property
worth billions of naira destroyed in the carnage arising from communal
conflicts nationwide(UNFPA, 2001). For example, it is estimatedthat assets
worth N59, 672,000 were lost to the Jos crisis in 2001, while government
compensation to victims was about N13, 938,000; assets lost to the Kaduna
crisis of 2001 ran to about N50,625,000 with government compensation being
N32,716,000. The Kano crisis of 2001 resulted in the loss of assets worth N59,
756,000, with compensation totaling about N22, 658,000 (Yahaya, 2005). However,
the deep-seated acrimony between Emani and Ohunwa clan dates back to 1964 in
Ihima land escalated into a dangerous climax in 2004. The re-organization in
the State Traditional Council under Governor Alhaji Ibrahim Idris was supposed
to practically correct the pervasive imbalance in the traditional institution.
The Phillips Salawu led committee introduced new stools that are alien to Ebira
history, the Ohi stool in all the four Local Governmentareas and quickly the
Adanihima (the father of all Ihima people) was equally imposed on Ihima people
in Okehi Local Government Area and skewed it to soothe the Emani clan bringing
the numbers of first class chiefs to six in Kogi Central Senatorial District.As it were the creation of a new
traditional stool- the Adanihima of Ihima as First Class Chief to be rated amongst
the six clans of Ihima ended up pitching the Emani clan, one of the dominant
clans who were historically a cruel antagonist of Ohunwa enthusiastically
embraced the new Adanihima stool. The Obobanyi of Ihima who is of Ohunwa clan
descent and very popular felt scorned by the elevation of the Obabayin of Emani
clan and regarded the creation of a nascent Adanihima stool for the Emanis and
secretly catapulted it to first class as another indirect political strategy by
their son, Chief Phillips Salawu who was the incumbent Deputy Governor to
reduce them to second class people in Ihima land. The assemblage of the
fourOhis therefore, strutted as equals to the paramount ruler in status. Hence,
their repeated open disregard for Ohinoyi‟s presence by refusing to stand up in
his honour in any given traditional ceremonial. Ohikere, (2012), Onukaba
(2009), corroborated that the mutual suspicion and superiority tango between
the Ohinoyi and Ohis on one hand and the not-too-cordial relationship between
the Ohinoyi and Chief Philips Salawu on the other hand partly accounted for the
lukewarm attitude by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland when the Ohunwa-Emani chaos was
so raging in Ihima land. Therefore, the Ihima, frequent crises in the area have
led to senseless killing and unleashing of havoc. At the pick of the killing
Uncles were taking the lives of their grandchildren born to opposing clans,
ancestral homes spanning 250 years were openly set on fire, step sisters and
brothers of different clan by default were sending themselves to early graves.
NB: The Complete Thesis is well written and ready to use.
