Northern Nigeria At War – Middle Belt Leaders
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Leaders of the Middle Belt have declared that Northern Nigeria is at war, with full-scale battle declared against unsuspecting “minority” ethnic nationalities in the former Northern region.
Declaring this in a communique of the Middle Belt Forum leaders’ meeting, they resolved to “alert the world that Northern Nigeria is at war with itself and that this full-scale war was unilaterally imposed against the unsuspecting “minority” ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria and that the world should remember that Nigerian autochthons since 1980 have been physically targeted and openly attacked not by Southerners, not by Foreigners but by fellow Northerners.”
In this respect, they further resolved to call on “Muslim Northern leadership to rise to their responsibilities to stop this tradition now becoming a culture.”
According to the leaders of ethnic nationalities in the North, “To remind the world that these attacks have since 2011 heightened; gaining in notoriety, planning and execution in the well-coordinated massacres of predominantly minority-Muslims and Christian communities, kidnap and forceful marriage of Christian girls with the connivance of traditional Rulers and law enforcement agencies, sadly with a pretentious look of helplessness by Federal and state governments and that these 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996, saddling Nigeria with 36 gerrymandered “states” and a Federal Capital Territory.”
The newly elected President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bala J. Takaya, said the time has come for the ethnic nationalities to unite and work towards the emancipation of the area that is under attack from forces struggling to destroy them, adding, “This is the time for us to unite and work together as a group. Any attack on Numan or Agatu should be seen as an attack on us all. We shall insist that the area be carried along and we shall toe the path of legality and peace in demanding for what belongs to us. We shall build on the achievements of past executives led by former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana.
Below is the communique as issued by the MBF:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE LEADERS’ CONFERENCE AND INAUGURATION OF NEW EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE MIDDLEBELT FORUM HELD ON 12TH DECEMBER, 2017 AT AJUJI HOTEL, ABUJA, FCT.
A. The Leaders’ Conference and Inauguration of the New Executive Council of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) was held on Tuesday, 12th December, 2017 at Ajuji Hotel, Abuja, FCT. The Conference was attended by leaders and delegates from the following states of the Middle Belt Forum: Benue, Bauchi, Southern Borno, Kogi, Plateau, Nasarawa, Plateau, FCT, Niger, Kwara, Southern Kebbi, Kaduna, Gombe, Taraba, Southern Yobe.
There was an opening remark by the outgoing President of the MBF, Prof. Jerry Gana, a paper presentation by Prof. Obadiah Mailafiya, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank who is a development economist as well as a lecture by Prof. Yusufu Turaki on the topic, The Political Question of the Middlebelt in Nigerian Politics. The new President of the MBF gave an acceptance address which was a historical voyage and a projection into the future of the peoples of the Middle Belt in the federation of Nigeria and in the entire universe.
Conference recognized the strengths of the Middle Belt which include qualitative human resource, arable land and mineral resources in all the states of the Middle Belt and was appreciative of their forebears who created cultures like the Nok Culture and others, which were amongst the oldest and most civilized in the world. Conference also proudly recognized that the peoples of the Middle Belt were never conquered.
Conference sadly admitted that despite the earlier stated advantages of the Middle Belt, the region is lagging behind in the economic and political spheres.
Conference noted the sustained attacks on the entire Middle Belt region by Fulani Herdsmen and expressed grave concern that these sustained attacks have continued for close to a decade and have worsened in the last few years making agricultural activities and travels within the region extremely dangerous with reports of kidnappings, rapes and murder being received on a daily basis.
Conference was extremely unhappy that the responses by security agencies to the cry of communities under attacks have always been largely ignored as recently voiced out by His Excellency, Arc. Darius Ishaku, Governor of Taraba State and His Majesty, the Hamman Bachama, amongst many others.
Conference strongly rejected the “Foreign Fulani Herdsmen” explanation given by leaders in order to evade blame about the non-challance of Hausa-Fulani leaders for not bringing the mass killers to book and beggars the question: why these herdsmen attack only non-hausa/Fulani and community?
Conference expressed sadness that the Middlebelt autochthonous nations were never part of the constant negotiations since 1953, leading to Federalism in 1954 and the ones resulting in state creations in 1967, 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996, saddling Nigeria with 36 gerrymandered “states” and a Federal Capital Territory.
Conference was extremely proud of Professor Jerry Gana, the outgoing President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) for his courage, dogged determination and commitment to the struggle for the liberation of all peoples of the Middle Belt and their prosperity irrespective of tongue or religion.
- B. After extensive deliberations, Conference resolved as follows:-
- To alert the world that Northern Nigeria is at war with itself and that this full-scale War was unilaterally imposed against the unsuspecting “minority” ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria and that the world should remember that Nigerian autochthons since 1980 have been physically targeted and openly attacked not by Southerners, not by Foreigners but by fellow Northerners. In this respect, further resolved to call on Muslim Northern leadership to rise to their responsibilities to stop this tradition now becoming a culture.
To remind the world that these attacks have since 2011 heightened; gaining in notoriety, planning and execution in the well-coordinated massacres of predominantly minority-Muslims and Christian communities, kidnap and forceful marriage of Christian girls with the connivance of traditional Rulers and law enforcement agencies, sadly with a pretentious look of helplessness by Federal and state governments and that these 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996, saddling Nigeria with 36 gerrymandered “states” and a Federal Capital Territory.
Conference was extremely proud of Professor Jerry Gana, the outgoing President of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) for his courage, dogged determination and commitment to the struggle for the liberation of all peoples of the Middle Belt and their prosperity irrespective of tongue or religion.
B. After extensive deliberations, Conference resolved as follows:-
- To alert the world that Northern Nigeria is at war with itself and that this full-scale War was unilaterally imposed against the unsuspecting “minority” ethnic nationalities in Northern Nigeria and that the world should remember that Nigerian autochthons since 1980 have been physically targeted and openly attacked not by Southerners, not by Foreigners but by fellow Northerners. In this respect, further resolved to call on Muslim Northern leadership to rise to their responsibilities to stop this tradition now becoming a culture.
- To remind the world that these attacks have since 2011 heightened; gaining in notoriety, planning and execution in the well-coordinated massacres of predominantly minority-Muslims and Christian communities, kidnap and forceful marriage of Christian girls with the connivance of traditional Rulers and law enforcement agencies, sadly with a pretentious look of helplessness by Federal and state governments and that these incidents are very stoppable if there is no ulterior political motive behind it. This is moreso as all of the nation’s security instruments and apparatuses are in the hands of the Hausa-Fulani leadership group today (defence, police, immigration, customs, internal affairs, external affairs, the department of state security, etc) besides the control of apex power at the Presidency
- To use all resources at its disposal to stop the hate appellations and derogatory words in reference to non-Hausa-Fulani of the North, like “arna”, ‘ya’yan arna”, “kafirai”, etc even when referring to Christians (Ahl-ul kitab) or even to native Middlebeltans who are Muslims which hate words are sparingly used, if at all, against business partners from the South that are non-Muslims. The MBF has come to the conclusion that the terms are deliberately encouraged to categorise others for easy attacks and killings without conscience.
- That the current agitation for restructuring should not be subsumed under the historical trend of NORTH vs SOUTH games of outwitting each other as what is needed is an organic Nation, not a market place for deal-making bargains by elite participants close to governments of the day and devoid of popular inputs. Conference resolved in this regard to mandate the leadership of the MBF to continue to remind the nation that the Northern and Southern protectorates, as far back 1914, were married into one country regardless of the feelings, let alone participation of the he autochtonous peoples of the Middlebelt who, even though they had their chiefdoms, states and kingdoms before colonialism, as they were not involved in the negotiations and that their political structures were cruelly dismantled and their territories gerrymandered for repackaging under assorted emirate tutelage.
- Pursuant to the resolutions above, Conference demands as follows:
- Government should immediately make changes in the nation’s security architecture has created a feeling of alienation by peoples of the middlebelt as these security agencies have failed, refused or neglected to respond to distress calls of middle belt communities when under attack by Fulani herdsmen.
- Government should immediately commence the restructuring of the nation by implementing the report of the 2014 Conference. The implementation of the 2014 National Conference will address some of the serious concerns of the peoples of the Middle Belt who feel that they have been unjustly treated in the Nigerian project.
- Conference calls on all states of the middle belt to prohibit by law open grazing and abolish grazing reserves while replacing pastoralism with ranching.
- Conference calls government at all levels to maintain in practice the policy of Nigeria as a secular state and non establishment of state religion as well as guaranteeing religious freedom and the right to change one’s religion.
- Government at all levels should provide clear demarcation between citizens, residents and Indigenes and clearly delineate their rights and privileges. In addition ll state governments should forthwith resuscitate and recognise the Independence of all Middlebelt traditional institutions.
- Adopt measures to protect citizens from gender-based discrimination and abuse, as well as the use of cultural practices to subjugate women to deny them full participation in the affairs of community and state. In particular, government and the security agencies must bring to book individuals accused of the kidnapping, forceful conversion and marriage of Christian girls in the Middle Belt, be there traditional rulers or other individuals.
1. INAUGURATION OF NEW LEADERSHIP
The New leadership of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) was innauguared in a colourful ceremony by the outgoing President, Prof. Jerry Gana. The new leadership has Dr. Bala Takaya as President, Alh. (Engr) Tanko Abdullahi as Vice President, Ben Diki as General Secretary, Dr. Shem Z, Nuhu as Deputy General Secretary, Barr. Mark Jacob as Legal Adviser, Dr, Isuwa Dogo as Publicity Secretary and Adakole Ijogi as Youth Coordinator.
APPRECIATION
Conference congratulated Professor Jerry Gana for a very successful tenure and prayed that the Almighty God will continue to protect, prosper and give him long life to continue his service to the Middle Belt and humanity. Conference congratulated the new President and his entire executive council and wish them a very successful tenure.
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BALA TAKAYA DR BEN DIKKI
