Middle Belt declares separation from Northern Nigeria

• Seeks alliance with Southern Nigeria on restructuring

Stakeholders from the Middle Belt of Nigeria, geopolitically classified as North Central Nigeria, have intensified their advocacy for autonomous identity distinct from the North dominated by Hausa/Fulani. They have unequivocally continued to dissociate their territory from being part of northern Nigeria and have resorted to seek alliance for corporate existence with the Southern Nigeria.

National Daily recalls that Professor Jerry Gana, a former Minister of Information, triggered the renewed Middle Belt movement last week when he declared that the zone will not align with the North if Nigeria breaks up.

Subsequently, a coalition of 49 associations from the Middle Belt on Thursday reiterated that their zone should not be seen as a part of Northern Nigeria in geopolitical consideration of the segments that comprise the country’s federation. The stakeholders midwifing this advocacy beckoned on their people begin to identify themselves strictly as Middle Belters not as northerners.

As earlier noted, Professor Gana, had on Sunday declared that the ethnic groups in the Middle Belt will not go with the North in an event of the breakup of Nigeria. Gana took a swipe at the coalition of northern youths for thinking the quit notice issued to Igbo residing in the North extends to the Middle Belt.

“They think when it comes to break-up, we will go along with the North. We have already told them that if they allow this country to break up, we are not going with the North. We are staying where we are. So, just take notice. If it comes to that, we will tell you that you are Arewa and we are ‘Middle-Belters’,” Gana had declared.

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National Daily gathered that in strengthening the Middle Belt advocacy for self-recognition, Nasiru Jagaba, Youth President of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union, SOKAPU, in a media interaction in Kaduna, on behalf of the Middle Belt Patriotic Front, constituted by the 49 associations, reaffirmed the declaration by Jerry Gana last Sunday.

Jagaba had listed the component states of the Middle Belt ato include Kwara, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba, Niger; addeing the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Southern parts of Adamawa, Kaduna, Kebbi, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe states.

“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 had declared.

The youth President was said to have made overtures to the South-West, South-South and South-East geopolitical zones for partnership the Middle Belt to ensure the restructuring of the country.

Jagaba had further declared: “It is no longer news that the peace, security, prosperity and unity of our beloved country, Nigeria, is now badly threatened.

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“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:

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“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.”