SOME groups from the Middle Belt declared on Thursday
that they were not part of Northern Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, the Youth
President, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Mr. Nasiru Jagaba, who
spoke on behalf of the Middle Belt Patriotic Front, made up of 49
associations, listed the states in the Middle Belt as Kwara, Kogi,
Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Niger.
He also listed the Federal Capital Territory, southern parts of
Adamawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe states as
components of the Middle Belt.
Jagaba said the people from the zone should be identified as
‘Middle Belters’ and not northerners.
He said, “Please let the world be advised that the Middle-Belt
is not part of the North and nobody has our mandate to speak for
us. We call on other geopolitical zones of the country to consider
us as Middle-Belters which is our identity.”
Jagaba urged the South-West, South-South and South-East
geopolitical zones to partner the Middle Belt to ensure the
restructuring of the country.
He said, “It is no longer news that the peace, security,
prosperity and unity of our beloved country, Nigeria is now badly
threatened.
“Therefore, we the people of the Middle Belt of Nigeria
comprising Kwara State, Kogi State, Benue State, Plateau State,
Nasarawa State, Taraba State, Niger State, the Federal Capital
Territory, the southern parts of Adamawa State, Kaduna State, Kebbi
State, Bauchi State, Gombe State, Yobe State and Borno State wish
to lend our united voice behind the Middle-Belt Forum and other
affiliate groups to the following:
“We, the people of the Middle Belt of Nigeria, wish to let the
world know that we are not a part of northern Nigeria and nobody in
the northern part has the mandate to speak for us.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from the infamous so-called
‘Kaduna Declaration’ of the 6th of June 2017 that demanded the exit
of our Igbo brothers and sisters from the northern part of Nigeria
with a threat to their lives and properties.
“We commend recent moves by the Federal Government under the
leadership of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to nip this challenge
in the bud and we call on all Nigerians and those living in Nigeria
to support the Federal Government to not only restore peace but to
move Nigeria to greater heights.”
SOME groups from the Middle Belt declared on Thursday
that they were not part of Northern Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, the Youth
President, Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, Mr. Nasiru Jagaba, who
spoke on behalf of the Middle Belt Patriotic Front, made up of 49
associations, listed the states in the Middle Belt as Kwara, Kogi,
Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Niger.
He also listed the Federal Capital Territory, southern parts of
Adamawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe states as
components of the Middle Belt.
Jagaba said the people from the zone should be identified as
‘Middle Belters’ and not northerners.
He said, “Please let the world be advised that the Middle-Belt
is not part of the North and nobody has our mandate to speak for
us. We call on other geopolitical zones of the country to consider
us as Middle-Belters which is our identity.”
Jagaba urged the South-West, South-South and South-East
geopolitical zones to partner the Middle Belt to ensure the
restructuring of the country.
He said, “It is no longer news that the peace, security,
prosperity and unity of our beloved country, Nigeria is now badly
threatened.
“Therefore, we the people of the Middle Belt of Nigeria
comprising Kwara State, Kogi State, Benue State, Plateau State,
Nasarawa State, Taraba State, Niger State, the Federal Capital
Territory, the southern parts of Adamawa State, Kaduna State, Kebbi
State, Bauchi State, Gombe State, Yobe State and Borno State wish
to lend our united voice behind the Middle-Belt Forum and other
affiliate groups to the following:
“We, the people of the Middle Belt of Nigeria, wish to let the
world know that we are not a part of northern Nigeria and nobody in
the northern part has the mandate to speak for us.
“We therefore dissociate ourselves from the infamous so-called
‘Kaduna Declaration’ of the 6th of June 2017 that demanded the exit
of our Igbo brothers and sisters from the northern part of Nigeria
with a threat to their lives and properties.
“We commend recent moves by the Federal Government under the
leadership of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to nip this challenge
in the bud and we call on all Nigerians and those living in Nigeria
to support the Federal Government to not only restore peace but to
move Nigeria to greater heights.”
Read more https://nairalaw.com/were-not-northerners-say-middle-belt-groups/
