BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) on Tuesday declared that the Middle Belt Region has been in a state of war, following incessant attacks from vicious criminal herdsmen that have continued to launch attack on Middle Belt Region and Southern Nigeria since over a decade.
The Forum stated this in Abuja during a One-Day Conference it organised to appraise current situation of the Middle Belt Region in order to stave off further attacks on ethnic nationalities in the defunct Northern Region.
In a communique signed by the President and National Secretary of the MBF, Dr Pogu Bitrus and Sen. Shem N. Zagbayi respectively, the socio-cultural organisation notes that, “The invasion of the Middle Belt is a misnomer as the undeclared war in the Region is a one sided, evil and wicked attack of the people and the farmer – herder clashes narrative is meant to obfuscate the real agenda and is therefore rejected.
“We have been in a state of war for over a decade. Nigeria now cannot attract foreign investment flow because of instability. Ghana that is about the size of Lagos state is doing better.
“Nigeria is a failed state. We may not like it but Nigeria is now a failed state. It is a nation where the institutions have broken down, the state has no credibility to maintain public order, the youth feel that their future has been mortgaged, there is grand corruption”
Expressing fears that Nigeria may not survive beyond 2030, as predicted by reputable risks institute, the Forum therefore resolved that: “Ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt must not fall into the error of describing the ongoing genocide in the middle belt as farmers – herders clash and at every opportunity tell the true story of the invasion of the Middle belt and displace the wicked, evil and mischievous narrative currently in the public domain.
“All Governors and members of National Assembly from the Middle Belt should begin the agitation for the implementation of the Recommendations of the 2014 National Conference as a panacea for the survival of Nigeria, restructure and the remove the structural imbalances that occasion the terrible injustices of the peoples of the Middle Belt. The amendment to the constitution should work towards providing for special rights for minorities in our laws.
“Ethnic nationalities in the Middle Belt reject completely the plan to establish Cattle colonies, either by its new name Ruga which the government has ‘suspended’ or by whatever new name the government may come up with. One of the principles of our revenue formula for which the North has been enjoying is land mass. The framers of the Constitution included land mass as one of the principles for revenue allocation because of its economic use, it should be put to that use now. Let the North give their land for cattle colonies or Ruga.
“There is urgent need for united political force and quality leadership in the Middle Belt. Actions must be united and from now henceforth, any and every attack will be collectively condemned and resisted as from now an attack on one will be considered an attack on all.
“Gender and youth participation must be encouraged at all levels. The governments of the Middle Belt states should quickly come together and develop an education agenda for the youths particularly the girl child. In this regard, governments of Middle Belt governors must be united against corruption and free resources for the development of the people.
“Ethnic Nationalities of the Middle Belt calls on the Government of Great Britain to take responsibility for the pains of the peoples of the Middle Belt. From now onwards the ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt will now approach the United Nations to ventilate their grievances and seek for justice.
“Conference resolved to establish in all state capitals of the Middle Belt Corporative Society to lift people out of poverty.”
The Conference had in attendance leaders of ethnic nationalities from States in the Middle Belt region, namely Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Gombe, Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Southern Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, Taraba and Southern Yobe. The conference was chaired by Chief Mrs. Sarah Dokotri, wife of late Pa Patrick Dokotri, one of the leading lights of the Middle Belt struggle from its formative days and until his death. The Conference received goodwill messages from Gen. TY. Danjuma, the Governors of Benue and Taraba states their Excellences’, Dr. Samuel Ortom and Arch. Darius Ishaku, amongst many others.
Two lead papers were presented by the former deputy governor of the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafiya and Barr. Professor Nankin Bagudu, While Dr. Mailafiya spoke on the “State of the Nation: The Middle Belt Perspective,” Professor Bagudu’s presentation was on: ‘The Middle Belt Identity: Bridging the Gap between our Beliefs, Our Preaching and our Practices.’
