By Murtala Abubakar
Convener Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations.

On Saturday morning of August,14th,2021, along Bauchi-Jos Road at Rukuba Junction, Jos capital of Plateau state, some innocent Sufi Muslim travelers returning from the annual new year Juma’a Zikir held in Bauchi came under barbaric attack when the buses conveying them to Ondo State were ambushed.

The Police in the state confirmed the attack and confirmed the killing of 33 people and dozen others wounded.The barbaric attack against the innocent Muslim travelers was carried out by Christian Irigwe militias who are notorious for such filthy atrocious actions in the past. The lack of prosecution and punishment of past perpetrators has appeared to emboldened others to annihilate fellow human beings without remorse.

Shedding of innocent human blood like the one that happened at Rukuba and many other places in different parts of the North point to one thing – leadership failure.

The north cannot continue with the current trend where leadership serves only a privileged few while majority of the populace are left groping in the dark and in constant hostility against each other due to ethnic or religious differences, promoted and nurtured by the leadership class.

In times of crisis or calamity such as the one that befalls Tajjaniya followers, victims of the Rukuba massacre, leaders especially of the primary group which the victims belonged to, are expected to be seen to stand strong in providing support and leadership both in words and actions to assure the bereaved family that they are not alone during such trials.

To this end efforts of Maulana Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauch must be commended. He has remained steadfast in seeking justice for the victims as well as appealing to millions of his followers for restrain in the face of the provocations, is to be appreciated. His call on his followers to give the authorities time to apprehend the culprits is to be commended. His appeal has succeeded in calming frayed nerves as sanity has prevailed over emotions. In the same vein, the Ondo state Governor’s message of support to the families of the victims when his deputy paid a condolence visit to them deserve commendation as a good leadership quality that our so-called leaders in the north need to emulate.

While the entire followers of Tijjaniya order and the none Tijjaniyas alike are in a state of mourning, Sir Kalipha Muhammad SANUSI II who is supposed to be the Chief mourner, was in Abuja lavishly wining and dining in celebration of his birthday party less than 48 hours after barbaric massacre of Tijjaniya followers ambushed on their way home after performing a religious ritual in Bauchi. Sanusi, as the Khalipha ought to have been the Chief Mourner. This display of insensitivity and lack of empathy is not only immoral but has exposed Khalifa SANUSI as someone who is in love with the pomp and pageantry of office but not ready or willing to carryout responsibilities expected of the occupant of such position just as with his many contradictory conducts that negates the cultural roles of an Emir which led to his eventual dethronement.

It is very disturbing to us the young generation to observe that many northerners seek for position just for the spoils of the office and very unwilling to carry responsibilities that goes with such positions which accounted for
many of the avoidable calamities has continued to befall us.

As I extend my condolences to the immediate families of our brothers who met their deaths in such undeserving manner, I pray that Allah (SWA) Will accept their Shahadah and grant them the highest position in the hereafter.