As the Plateau State
continues to be the breeding ground for killings, Vanguard
reported that herdsmen have renamed communities grabbed from indigenes. The
newspaper considered this as a shocker. Within
16 minutes of publication, the story has attracted 25 comments from the readers,
generating
divided opinions on what governments and security agencies should do.
Further analysis of
the story indicates that the newspaper wants concerned stakeholders to take
appropriate actions towards the grabbed communities. Analysis equally indicates
that the newspaper played up the issue and distrusted the official mainstream
narrative of the Federal Government.
In the introduction,
the newspaper says “When the alarm was raised, many thought it was false, some
were complacent, calling it an ethnic crisis. But bit by bit, the fear became a
reality; the subtle attacks which began over a decade ago have seen native
communities in Plateau State taken over by invading herders.” This
introduction makes the issue look as large and problematic as possible.
The newspaper distrusted
the Federal government’s narrative of working towards the lasting peace in the
area by referring readers to previous state and federal governments’ efforts on
the crisis, saying “It will be recalled that the immediate past governor of the
state, Jonah Jang, a Berom by tribe; the Member representing Riyom/Barkin Ladi
in the National Assembly, Istifanus Gyang; the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Buba;
all Berom Socio-cultural groups especially its umbrella body, Berom Educational
and Cultural Organization, BECO and other tribes in Bassa local government area
among others had consistently appealed to the Federal Government to tackle land
occupation by foreign herders but all entreaties were ignored.”
Instead of citing
past governments’ efforts, the newspaper should have informed the public
current governments efforts in resolving the crisis. It only refers to the
current state government’s steps on the issue. As the readers continue reading
the news, comments are being driven by the patterns and words used by the
newspaper.
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