The rise and rise of coffin business in Jos
One of the newest shops dealing in caskets and coffins in the metropolis of Jos, capital of Plateau State has just opened to add to the soaring number of places dealing in the special wares. Like many others, Moses Mark, the shop owner , chose Yakubu Gowon Way, a federal highway leading visitors into the metropolis from most parts of the country, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The dual carriageway which stretches from Mararaban Jama’a at the gateway into the city, to Secretariat Junction in Jos-North ,means much more than a passage for many businessmen, who would go to all lengths to exploit the thick traffic with the display of goods to attract patronage. Makers and dealers in coffins and caskets are also not left out in this business strategy.
The 34-year old has been in the business for 11 years now, but has all the while served as a contract coffin maker to some big time makers, who hired his service at times of pressure from bereaved customers. He spent the earlier part of the 11 years as an apprentice.
Mark’s 11 years in this business falls within the same period the city and its environs suffered from the worst ever season of killings, which marked the violent hostilities that rocked Jos.
Jos gained notoriety as a killing field in the past one decade plus, and has seen the worst times since its founding as an administrative seat by the colonial British administration. The metropolis has had to succumb to armed hostilities between the predominantly Christian indigenous communities, and the predominantly Muslim Hausa communities from where crises often spilled into adjoining areas. There has also been aggression between the indigenous comminutes themselves, resulting in the killing of hundreds by some brutal means, with thousands displaced, and many communities completely razed down.
The period caused high level bereavement as it brought death in soaring numbers never seen before in the state. But it also saw a boom in Mark’s type of business ,with hundreds of young men taking to it in the effort to meet the soaring demand for coffins.
A booming abuse But this boom abused the sensibilities of the people of Jos in no mean way. It is the open display of the wares by roadside in the same proportion as the strategy adopted by street traders, such that a first time visitor would think that the major occupation in the city is coffin making. The gloomy picture this has presented in the hearts of visitors ,would be better imagined: a city where it seems the coffins welcome the visitor.
“Driving into Jos, the coffins will welcome you. That is the picture presented by this street coffin trading that is ever gaining grounds in the city,” a regular visitor to Jos, who pleaded not to be mentioned, told Daily Trust on Sunday, when she visited last week. “I just hate it anytime I set my eyes on the metropolis.”
This source visits the city from Abuja, on a business that first takes her to Nasarawa, and then to Jos on the same day. “I leave Abuja fortnightly on a supply business to Nasarawa. It leaves me completely stressed up by the time I am leaving for Jos, where I usually sleep to continue the next day and take off to Abuja.
“On entering Jos, I will begin to feel sad instead of eager to reach the guest house to rest for the night. It is just coffins everywhere as you begin to approach the metropolis. It is as if there is no other business to do in this place than coffins.”
This business lady’s concerns are the same as all residents spoken to, although just like her they also insisted they do not want their names mentioned in a matter relating to coffins.
“I know that is the sure end for all of us. But nobody likes the display of coffins. It reminds us of only one thing; the corpse to be conveyed in those boxes. It is not fair that makers and dealers of coffins in this city are not respecting our sensitivities,” a man said.
A govt ban defied On Thursday, August 13, 2009, proceedings on the floor of the Plateau State House of Assembly (PLHA) erupted with comments from members, who took turns to argue a motion introduced by one of the lawmakers, seeking a legislation to ban the open display of coffins in the city.
Sam Damla, who represented Bokkos then, introduced the motion, and sought support for a resolution to direct the state government to enforce a ban on street coffin trading. He condemned the display, which, according to him was a visible sign of the season of violence in Jos. He also said that the
soaring number of artisans joining the coffin business, indicates they directly profit from the bereavement of hundreds of families. Although his concern received unanimous backing from his colleagues, who echoed their fears that even with the signs that the crises were coming to an end, Plateau may still suffer a deal of bad image if coffins took up the major road leading into the city. But one of the legislators still raised opposition to the motion. Wokdung Adamu Abbas, who represented Dengi Constituency derided his colleagues for fearing death, and said he supported the display of coffins, so that by doing so, the artisans have contributed in correcting people to live in a Godly manner . He said immorality, corruption, hate, greed, and sundry other sins are gaining ground in the society ,because many people have no daily reminder of death.
Records could not be traced at the complex of the state legislature in Jos, when this reporter visited, but the Deputy Clerk, Mr. Logbap Wuyep said the motion was ruled with a resolution which directed the government to act to ban the display.
But the resolution which empowered the urban authorities, the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to enforce the ban, has achieved little impact, seven years on.
Reports say the board proposed to designate a special site to relocate the coffin artisans, but met with funding challenges, as it’s efforts to enforce the removal of displayed coffins met with stiff opposition from the dealers.
A report quoted the then chairman of the Association of Coffin Dealers in the city, Mr. O.A. Olotunbosun, as saying his members were prepared for the relocation only when government provided the designated location with all infrastructure including a perfect access road network, water and electricity ,in a country where such facilities are hardly available for majority of the citizens.
Olotunbosun waved off the general publics belief about coffins that dealers profit from death.
“We know that we shall also die one day, so how can we pray for someone’s death because we want to sell? All we believe is that the role we play in the final journey of every dead person is vital, because when you pray for the dead , you also follow that prayer with a befitting burial,” he was quoted to have said.
Reports also said the JMDB made an initial arrest of two persons over defiance to the ban, and had arraigned them, accordingly, although Daily Trust on Sunday could not trace follow up reports to ascertain if the courts dispensed judgment. This is just as inquiries at the board showed that there are no available records to speak for the board on the enforcement.
When this reporter visited the new shop of Mark opposite the Coca Cola depot along the federal highway, his coffins were outside on display. He said, although he constructed a hanger inside of his tight shop for the coffins, he needed to sell.
“You know, people need to see what you have to sell,” Mark said. “Men of the JMDB come around at times, but they understand that we are in business. They excuse us, especially when they see that much of the coffins on display are still being worked on.”
He said the highway has the thickest traffic than all other roads in the city put together. “This road makes business lucrative here rather than elsewhere.”
Not far off from Mark’s shop, is what has come to be known as the coffin sector of the city. No fewer than five coffin shops operated at Sparkling Junction area of Jos at the peak of the violent hostilities, but they have reduced to two now. Mark did his apprentice here.
Daniel Ari, who is only three years old in this business, has his shop: OMBA Sympathizers, just next to the other shop: Last Home Sympathizers owned by his former boss.
He told Daily Trust that his business has witnessed harassment by men of JMDB over time, but added that “government still comes around to take revenues. So it is difficult to know what government wants.”
Driving on from that point towards the outskirts of the city, coffin shops easily compete with other businesses in space and number. They flank almost every available space, with the owners choking the federal highway with their wares in open defiance of the ban.
But three shops stand out among this number; they belong to three of the most prominent dealers in coffins in Jos: Baba Bisi, who is famed as the longest in the business, starting in the late 80s; and Dachung Jatau as well as Moses Iliya, current chairman and secretary, respectively of the association of dealers in coffin.
Baba Bisi was not available to speak to this reporter, but his staff said he has been in the business for too long to display coffins before he can sell. “In this business, you also need respect. Baba Bisi is known for his brand, and he does not go out with coffins to display before he can sell,” a staff there said.
Dachung Jatau, the chairman of the association ,said as a leader, he had to lead by example to get followership from his members. He however said the number of shops choking the road with coffin display are owned by those he called “gatecrashers,” explaining that “the Jos crisis brought them into the business.”
He said the crisis served as a function for the boom in the business, driving many young men to take up to artisanship in manufacture of coffins without with complete disregard to decency.
“When the legislature passed that resolution, they invited us to sit with them to see how we can comply. And we directed all our members to stop displaying coffins. But the crisis continued, and created a boom in the business. So many young men came in with irresponsible attitudes .They are the ones displaying coffins,” Jatau, who has been in the business for 18 straight years now, said. “I am 16 years in the business. It means it is not the crisis that made me an artisan to benefit from bereavement.”
The membership of the association is only 27, Jatau said. “But those who didn’t join are in hundreds; they are the ones who came in to profit from the crisis.”
Mr. Mathias Hata, the Acting General Manager of JMDB could not be reached for comments on this report, but the officer spoken to says he is concerned with the bad image on Jos, and he is committed to push the limits of the enforcement to return all displayed coffins into the shops.