On the Sara-Suka menace

Music and the exit of Ras Kimono

It gives me a great pleasure to see the number of concerned youths talking about the menace of Sara-Suka around the city of Jos. This came as a result of the escalation of crisis caused by the group. I have also read about suggested solutions to the issue; including arrest to shooting them at sight. Well, they may be good suggestions, but what we need is a permanent solution to the problem. We must go back to the root causes of the problem; how did the Sara-Suka group come about. First and foremost, the Hausa communities in Jos are blessed with children and youths who are very energetic but are not channelling that energy in the right direction. Parents have a huge role to play in this matter as well because providing proper guidance will go a long way in keeping the youths in check.

Then, there is the issue of drug abuse. The relevant agencies need to step up campaigns against the use of illicit drugs. Most of these gang members perpetrate evil when they are under the influence of hard drugs. Efforts should be made to check proliferation Music is a universal language and a good tune is enjoyed by everyone, irrespective of the language in which it is rendered. That is why I tap my foot to the songs of Brenda Fassie, even though I don’t understand what she says.

More than this, music has a therapeutic effect. It ministers to our existential needs. For example, Don William’s songs contain philosophical messages, which serve as guide. The thematic concerns of his songs, which range from love to death, and to other issues, contain wise sayings, which teach us on how to live right.

Ras Kimono came to national limelight through his reggae songs of these drugs. Furthermore, the police who are charged with the responsibility of prosecuting criminals must rise up to the occasion. Anyone caught causing trouble should be adequately dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.

Members of various communities around the city of Jos should cooperate with security agencies by providing information. Finally, I urge the Plateau State government to work with community leaders on this issue. filled with didactic, revolutionary, and social messages. He used his songs to question the status quo ante then. He used his song to tell us that while the thieving ruling polite elite are living in opulence, the rest of the people in the country are impoverished and living below poverty line.

That’s why the name, Ras Kimono, has been imprinted in the minds of millions of Nigerians. Those who were in their early teens when his music ruled our airwaves grew up listening to his melodious songs and adoring him. And the songs had great influence on them.

I urge upcoming musicians to emulate the positive attributes of Ras Kimono, who died recently. His death jolted us, no doubt. But, it is unwise for us to remain disconsolate over his death. A native of Onitsha Olona, Delta State, Ras Kimono was a detribalized Nigerian and global citizen, who believed and worked for the unity and progress of our country through the instrumentality of reggae music. A revolutionary reggae icon and exponent of protest music, he deployed music for the enthronement of social justice and egalitarianism in Nigeria. May his soul rest in peace.