Jos the Land of Peace and Unity: My Love for this City

in Speak Peace2 years ago

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Jos is the capital of Plateau State, Nigeria. The caption for the state is "The Land of Peace and Unity". The weather ☁️☁️ is the coolest in Nigeria. Have you been to Jos and complained of heat. Make our time to visit Jos-Plateau and you'll not want to return to your state of origin. The acroynm Jos is believed to be coined out from (Jesus Our Savior). Welcome to the Hive-naija contest of the week. Greetings from @salvadornkpara the Port Harcourt 3rd Son.

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My Jos Story
I left Port Harcourt on the 4th of July 2007 to seek for admission into the University. For the first time leaving my father's house for academic purposes. My dad only gave me transport fair and some money to sustain me for at least two weeks in Jos. I spent about 13 hours on the road moving from Port Harcourt through the following states: Abia, Okigwe-Imo state, Enugu, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna-Forest and then Plateau State all in Nigeria.
Immediately I entered Plateau State, I felt a change in the weather the cool breeze welcomed me and I knew that I was already in Plateau State but my destination was Jos and the University of Jos. On my arrival at Jos I was stranded. My father only told my to look for any Assemblies of God church and introduce myself and present my traveling paper to the resident pastor. I asked for the church and the bikeman took me round the same place until he brought me to the church. On my arrival at the church, the pastor accepted me into his home. I was very lucky because two weeks before my arrival, a member was defrauded by a visitor. I started school the next Monday at the University of Jos, Plateau State.

Important Places in Jos-Plateau State

Terminus Market-Jos
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The Terminus market also known as Jos main market is actually in the heart of Jos-North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The market was built in a way that the every goods have a particular area they're been sold. For instance, the place for beef and clothings are separated. It was so organised that you'll not miss your way at the market. Jos market was important to every tribe on Nigeria because it accommodated every ethnic group found in Nigeria both buyers and sellers. Jos market is sold both in the morning and at night the night market was known as "Kasowan Dere."

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Kurra Falls A Place for Tourism
One of the prestigious tourists site in Plateau State is the Kurra Falls located in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. Riyom is found at the entrance of Plateau when coming from the Southern Kaduna axis. Tourists all over the world visits the Kurra Falls. From tourism to economic values, incomes and revenues are generated from the tourist site, which is part of the internally generated revenue remitted to the federal government of Nigeria from Plateau State.

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The Jos Wildlife Park
Wildlife conservation is very important to every regions of the world. Jos Wildlife Park is a tourist attractions for both students who embark on education excursions. Pupils are taught about different animals and we know that visual education is more profitable to pupils than the normal classroom teaching.
Apart from excursions, it's used as a tourists sites for visitors in Plateau State.

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The Uniqueness of Tomato Jos
Jos have a unique kind of tomatoes grown in Jos and many people ask over Nigeria calls it Tomato Jos

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The uniqueness of tomatoes grown in Jos led to the use of it to describe a beautiful woman by the Igbo men. This kind of tomatoes is grown due to the nature of the weather conditions of Jos Plateau State.

Socio-Cultural Affinities in Jos Plateau State
Jos is populated by people from Birom, Jarawa, Anaguta, and their likes.

The Birom People
The Berom (sometimes also spelt as Birom) is the largest autochthonous ethnic group in Plateau State, central Nigeria. Covering about four local government areas, which include Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi (Gwol) and Riyom, Berom are also found in some southern Kaduna State local government areas.Source
The Berom people have a rich cultural heritage. They celebrate the Nzem Berom festival annually in March or April. Other festivals include Nzem Tou Chun (worongchun) and Wusal Berom. Its one of the major aborigine groups in Nigeria (Plateau State) that believes in a Judeo-Christian God (Dagwi).Source

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Jarawa People

The Afizere people (Other: Afizarek, exonym: Jarawa) are an ethnic group that occupy Jos East, Jos North, parts of Jos South Local Government Areas of Plateau State and parts of Toro and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas of Bauchi State, Nigeria. The Afizere are speakers of Izere language. They are surrounded by the Berom to the west, Mwaghavul in Mangu to the south, Anaguta people to the northwest.Source

Izere towns have a traditional and gerontocratic chieftaincy system that is headed by an Agwom and supported by five districts heads representing the five royal families of the Afizere: Fobur, Forsum, Maigemu, Shere and Federe. In Afizere land, a district could be a combination of 6 to 12 villages. Historically, the Agwom was also the chief priest of the people
A traditional dance called Asharuwa is one of the cultural heritage the Afizere have maintained over the years. The asharwa dance group represented Nigeria in countries like USA, UK, Canada, Germany, South Africa, Ukraine, and Kenya.Source

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Anaguta People

The Ananguta are located in Jos-North Local Government Area of Plateau State. The Anaguta reported that they came from the hillside of a place called Gutu, in Song Local Government area of Adamawa State. Their language is Iguta. A high number of them speak Hausa and English very well. The estimated population of the people is about 12,000. Their closest neighbouring communities are the Berom, Buji, Iregwe, Kuce and Izere.Source

The traditional title of their paramount chief is called 'Ujah '. They celebrate two traditional festivals called Usundaka and Tukunku. At the festivals, men put on traditional wears made of animal skins, holding bows arrows as they display their masquerade. They tie leaves around their waist as garments, and display their dances. The celebration is marked with local dishes of Tuwo, gwate, doya, gurjiya-da-ridi, kunun-doro, and giya.Source

The people are primarily farmers and artisans. They cultivate maize, rice, cocoyam, beans, cucumber, tomato, potato and guinea corn. Some of their young men are skillful hunters; others engage in trading and transport business.Source

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Finally, I'll say that Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria is a home for all Nigerians as well as visitors. This is because the weather is actually condusive and attractive to tourists from the world over. The major challenge facing Jos Plateau is insecurity and incessant fight between Muslims and Christians. Plateau use to be the most peaceful place in Nigeria. Today the Book Haram terrorists group and their attacks on innocent citizens of Nigeria have made most persons to leave Plateau. Although I left Plateau 7 years ago but my mind is still in Plateau State. I love you Plateau and I want peace to return in the state.