Kuru, where Ribadu will spend the next one year

Ribadu

Kuru, a community in Plateau State, recently attracted attention as a result of the announcement by the Police high command that Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the EFCC chairman, was going there for a course. Isaac Shobayo, in this piece, takes a look at the community where the anti-corruption guru will spend some time.

Kuru is a distinct district in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.The suburb has since become a household name among the elite in Nigeria, it is a community where those in positions of authority want to identify with because of the specialized institutions that dot the area.

One of the prominent institutions is the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS). In 1978, the then Head of State, General Olusegun Obasanjo concieved the idea of an institution which would promote a better Nigeria. His vision was a brighter future for a country which had emerged from thirty months civil war in 1970. That war brought in its wake a crisis of confidence among the various sectors of the economy, as well as mutual mistrust among the populace.

Against the backdrop of the need to strive towards a common purpose in the country and improve harmony and effectiveness within the top level management personnel and policy initiators, the Federal Government in 1978 set up a committee to examine the possibility of establishing an institute charged with such objectives.

Based on the recommendation of the committee, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies was established by Decree Number 20 of 1st January, 1999 and Plateau State was not just chosen as the site of the elite institute but Kuru in Jos, South Local Government Area of the state. Other notable Institutions in the community are the National Institute for Veterinary Research (NIVR) Vom, Police College and National Seed Service.

The community is blessed with the presence of undulating highland characterized by hills as well as artificial hillocks. Kuru, being one of the Berom speaking areas of Plateau State has been in existence before the advent of the colonial government and was created as a district in1927.

It is bordered in the North by Gyel District, East by Du and Foron District and South by Heipang District. The culture of the people is not different from other Berom speaking areas of the State, they are inter related and tend to blend into one another as a result of their peculiarities and also because of their proximity to one another. What is more noticeable is the similarity of culture among the diverse Berom people of Plateau.

The major occupation of the people of Kuru is farming. They also have a rich cultural heritage which they uphold religiously, including many festivals which provide entertainment the year round. The observation of Sunday Tribune in the community depicted that the area is equally blessed with various artistic values.

Tracing the origin and history of the people, the traditional ruler, Gwom Rwei Kuru, Da Patrick Mandung, said the community was founded by a man called Du Bare who migrated from a place called Riyom. According to him, the people of Kuru have different cultural festivals which are seasonal . He mentioned Mangel festival which is often celebrated to usher in the rains season anda series of other festivals. He narrated that the people celebrated such festivals purely to thank God for what he had done for them ,saying the festivals have nothing to do with cultism.

In spite of the presence of federal establishments in the area, the sprawling community still lacks basic amenities like pipe borne water, good roads, among others. The traditional ruler and some of his subjects, who spoke with Sunday Tribune, lamented that the area has long been neglected by both the government and the federal institutions cited in the locality.

Da Mandung told Sunday Tribune that the people were yet to feel the impact of institutions such as NIPPS, NIVR, Police College and the National Seed Service ,saying that all of them are yet to perform their expected social responsibilities to the area.

He pointed out that the institutions simply acquired their lands without paying the expected compensation. He mentioned NIPPS as one of the principal culprits adding that the people on several occasions had approached the National Institute for compensation without any positive response.

The traditional ruler said with the institutions that dotted his domain, unemployment is still on the increase among his people, saying that many of the qualified indigenes of Kuru were not accorded priority in terms of employment.

But he equally pointed out that the present Director General of NIPPS, Professor Akin Akindoyeni, recently dug two wells for the community while the Director General of National Veterinary Research Institute, Dr, (MRS) Lami Lombi, rendered assistance towards completion of a secondary school in the community.

“Though we have been pursuing the issue of compensation now for the past twenty years without any headway, we will not give up until these institutions give us our entitlements. Apart from the issue of compensation, these institutions still find it difficult to employ our youth. It is high time they realized that we sacrificed our lands for them to operate, they should therefore live up to their corparate responsibilities,”he said.

He also added that previous governments did nothing to alleviate their sufferings. He however said that the present administration of Governor Jonah Jang has promised to help the community in major areas.

On the social ills ravaging the community, that is the consumption of the dreaded gin called " Goskolo" among the youths, the traditional ruler said a task force had since been set up to check the unholy act , noting that the social problem was initially on the increase as a result of unemployment.

Responding to the allegation of non payment of compensation, the Director General of NIPPS, Professor Akin Akindoyeni, said the people of the community were not honest in their demand, saying that the institute had since paid compensation to the Plateau State government during the administration of Chief Solomon Lar.

“The people are less than being honest, compensation had since being paid to the Plateau State government. It was paid during the time of Chief Solomon Lar. When I resumed here in 2005 as the Director-General, the people of this community approached the institute again for compensation, we brought out all the documents relating to the payment of the compensation which was done in accordance to the Land Use Act and they went back satisfied, so I don't know what they are talking about again" he said.

Professor Akindoyeni said, “to do anything in the area, the institute had to pay He citing the example of the pedestrian bus stop in front of the main gate of the institute constructed during the time of the late General Joseph Garba, saying that NIPPS paid compensation for the small land where the structure was erected.”

On the employment of the people of the area, the Director Gerenral said it is a disservice to the institute to say that the people of Kuru were not being employed. According to him, most of the junior staff of the National Institute are indigenes of Kuru and K-Vom.

He narrated that NIPPS is a sensitive and specialized institution established to conduct courses for top level policy makers and executors, to conduct social and public policy research and required high level manpower. He said because of the nature and objectives, the institution cannot just employ anybody based on sentiments without the required and solid academic background.

“I cannot employ somebody who has not gone to secondary school to be an Admin Officer. Many times, people of this state sometimes go through the traditional rulers for employment into this institute, we usually have no choice than to honour them ,based on their merits. But being a national institute, we cannot compromise standard,” he said.

A Director in the institute, who did not want his name in print, said on several occasions NIPPS had rendered some essential services to the community, saying that women of the institute recently went round Kuru community to test people for Sickle Cell Anaemia free of charge and equally rendered some medical services to them.

At the NIVR, the Director General Dr. Lami Lombi was not around for comment but a cross section of management staff who spoke with Sunday Tribune on condition of anonymity said the Vertinary Institute had done a lot for the community. According to them, apart from giving the people gainful employment, the institute had equally rendered useful services to them, adding that, many of them were visible.

Going through the community there was no trace of government presence, an observation which none of the government officials in Plateau State was willing to comment on.On the controversy over the payment of compensation, majority of those contacted simply claimed that they knew nothing about the issue.