PRESS RELEASE!!!
By NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF MIDDLE BELT YOUTH COUNCIL
25th August, 2017: SECRETARIAT, NIGERIAN UNION OF JOURNALIST,
JOS.
 |
| Alhaji Yahaya Kwande |
Our fellow citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, gentle
men of the press, fellow compatriots in the struggle of Middle Belt. We welcome
President Mohammadu Buhari to the country from his medical vacation. We pray
God to grant him speedy recovery.
Having listened to all voices of people across the country, we
have decided to speak up at this point in time.
We, at the Middle Belt region, comprising more than 400 ethnic
nationalities want to our dissatisfaction with the level of hate-filled
speeches by some misguided groups of people or even government. Every part of
the country or group of people has the right to demand for what will protect
the interest of its people. This trend of sad development came as a result of
government's failure to address some fundamental socio-economic, geographical
and political issues challenging our common existence as a nation.
Firstly, the Nigerian government has been so insensitive to the
security threats of our people over the years. Ever since the killings of our
people started by Fulani herdsmen, Federal Government of Nigeria has never set
up a special security committee, to find a way of addressing this existential
threat. It only focuses its attention on oil and gas revenue bases in the South
and fulfils the political demands of the Arewas at all times. In this regard,
the government has shown high level of discrimination against the Middle Belt
people and also pretends nothing is happening here. We wish to remind our good
friends from the South that they should remain focused on the fight for
restructuring other than any cosmetic surgery to our national problem. We urge
the Federal Government to immediately set up a Special Expert Security
Committee including our communities and the Middle Belt Youth Council to put an
end to this menace if it really means tackling i
The Middle Belt region people will not take a step back on
restructuring and will immediately usher in demand for referendum if the
restructuring fails. We know that the Arewas are comfortable with the present
system because it benefits them more than any part of Nigeria, therefore, they
remain an obstacle to it instead of finding a common ground to find a lasting
solution to this national problem. Their position has always been, We Say No to
this and that in every national discourse. This is not in anyway solving
problems but making it worse.
Similarly, we notice that of recent, Amb. Yahaya Kwande made an
unruly statement on Middle Belt which to the best of knowledge and the country
at large, we know that the Middle Belt what he thinks. Possibly he was at
Jupiter when Pastor David Lot, Joseph Sarwan Tarka, Gen. TY Danjuma, Air
Commodore Dan Suleiman down to Solomon Daushep Lar of blessed memories of the
deceased three, stood up for the interest of our people who have been oppressed
and marginalised by the north in which he has been a partaker in the process.
We want to assure him that Middle Belt exists differently from the north and
there's nothing like monolithic North. We have lost him and elder Paul Unongo
to the Arewas and they can never represent Middle Belt anywhere. They have lost
the script long ago and therefore they are not relevant in the Middle Belt not
even among the Arewas. While they continue been the mere "winning
tool", we want to assure them that the "tool" cannot work on our
generation.
Given the waves of agitations all over the country, we urge the
Federal Government to douse these tensions through dialogue not by using its
might on dissenting voices like the IPOB and any other group. Dialogue should
be the only way out. Dialogue does not mean cowardice or submitting its
Sovereign powers but a way of engaging aggrieved parties with the system who
have lost confidence and trust in it. Today maybe IPOB, tomorrow maybe another
group worst than that.
We also call on the Senior Special Adviser to the President,
Garba Shehu, to immediately withdraw his statement on rodents taking over the
Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We're not in a zoo
that animals can live in the State House. This comment has brought national and
international shame and embarrassment to our country.
Finally, we are aware that the 1999 Constitution tactically
prohibits negotiating the unity of this country, but, having seen what and how
this country is over the years, we want to state here that Nigeria has now
finally come to the brink of renegotiation. It's better we define our terms of
existence in unity by national consensus than imposition which will only
degenerate into serious national problems.
Long life Federal Republic of Nigeria
Long life the Middle Belt
Signed:
Emma Zopmal - President
Polmi Ibrahim - National Secretary (Southern Bauchi)
Nasiru Jagaban - National Publicity Secretary (Southern Kaduna)
Barr Iliya Ashokpa - Nassarawa Coordinator
Hon. Vera N. Akua - Benue Coordinator
Barr Seth Mangseth -Plateau Coordinator
Engr Nasiru Abubakar - Gombe Coordinator
Notsa Khamufo - Taraba Coordinator
Barr Seun Olawoyi - Kwara Coordinator
Brent Kane -Adamawa Coordinator
Moses Zakwa - Southern Borno Coordinator
Attah Idoko - Kogi Coordinator
John Ibrahim - Southern Kebbi Coordinator
Babanya Ndagi - Niger Coordinator
Prince Godwin Azaki -Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
Published by : Anyi Kings
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