THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT OF VICTIMS OF THE 1998 VIOLENT INTER ETHNIC CONFLICT IN TOTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ADJUSTMENT OF VICTIMS OF THE 1998 VIOLENT INTER ETHNIC CONFLICT IN TOTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2010-10
Authors
USMAN, DAVID
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Abstract
The Bassa-Egbura violent inter-ethnic conflict rendered many
people homeless, reduced them to internally displaced persons and
inflicted other forms of physical and psychological injuries to
others. It also resulted in the loss of lives and properties. This
study investigated the social and economic adjustment and
strategies adopted by victims of this conflict. The conflict
perspective was reviewed and adopted as frame of analysis for the
better understanding of the social and economic adjustment of
victims. A field work was conducted in the three districts of Toto
Local Government Area to gain insight into the genesis and extents
of the violence conflict. The researcher administered three hundred
(300) structured questionnaires to the internally displaced persons
who had returned after the conflict. Focus group discussions were
held with members of the ethnic groups such as the Bassa,
Egbura, Yoruba, Hausa, Gbaygi and Ibo residing in the area. The
leaders of these ethnic groups also indepthly interviewed about the
hardship their people faced and who they considered were worse
hit. It was found that the Bassa were the worst affected group.
Their people were killed, their properties destroyed. They
constituted the majority of the internally displaced persons. They
went on exile to neighboring towns and states for a period of two
years facing hardships such as lack of money, friends, relations to
associate with and unemployment among others. The crises
caused major disruptions to various aspects of life such as
economic activities, children’s education, infrastructures and
population displacement. On return, the adjustment of the
displaced victims included resettling in places other than their
former homes and starting life afresh to avoid been attacked by
those who had earlier attacked them. Those who returned to their
former area of settlement also had to start from the scratch
because all their houses and other resources had been destroyed.
The study recommends that dialogue should be facilitated among
the warring groups. There should be fair political participation at
local and state level, for the Bassa and the Egbura ethnic groups.
Boundary adjustment and land dispute issues among the Bassa
and Egbura should be resolved by the Nasarawa state government
to forestall the reoccurring violent conflict, lost of lives and
properties in the area.
Description
BEING A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE (M.SC) DEGREE
IN SOCIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY,
ZARIA, NIGERIA
Keywords
SOCIAL,, ECONOMIC,, ADJUSTMENT,, VICTIMS,, VIOLENT INTER ETHNIC CONFLICT,, TOTO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA,, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA