Former presidential aspirant of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and former Special Assistant to the ex-Defense Minister, General Theophilus Y Danjuma, Mr John Dara, has disclosed that the time has come for Middle Belt to take the centre stage in the nation’s politics...CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶▶
Speaking in Abuja at the weekend during the Middle Belt Youth Forum Stakeholders Award, with the theme; harnessing the socio-political contribution of past and present Middle Belt leaders in uniting Nigeria, Dara said as the only bloc controlling 11 states, the Middle Belt is supposed to be the dominant force driving the economy of the nation.
Dara, who is the Chairman of the occasion said, “we are the only bloc that has up to 11 states. So we are supposed to be the dominant force calling the shots in the polity of this nation and driving the economy. It’s not enough to say we are a food basket. I don’t want to feed people.
“I want to make money in the process of feeding them. So if you eat my food, you pay. We must come up with models, economic models that guarantees that Benue is not just a food basket, but is also going to the bank for the purposes of the food.
“We don’t want to grow groundnut and create pyramids in Kano. We don’t want to grow rice and create pyramids elsewhere. We don’t want to grow cotton and give textiles elsewhere.
“No, we want to make sure that our products result in industries that empower our people, so that people will treat us with respect. The Middle Belt of today and tomorrow should command respect.
“The time has come for us to be the pacesetter in the polity of Nigeria. And that’s why our young people need to understand where we are coming from, from 1951 to date.”
He, however, disclosed how Middle Belt ends up being the dominant bloc, adding, “ten states of the 19 Northern states in Nigeria are middle belt.
“In addition to those ten states, fractions of four other states, that is Southern Kaduna, Southern Kebbi, Southern Borno, and part of Bauchi state, are middle belt. If you add all that up, we are not less than 11 states of the 19 Northern states. So who is the senior partner? Who is the majority? I like to relate to people from the position of strength than being on the defensive.”
Explaining why the award was organized, the Acting National Coordinator of Middle Belt Youth Forum, Capt. Brent Kane, who said that they have not been treated fairly said, “the purpose of this gathering is to recognize what the past and present leaders of this organization have done for Nigeria in the development and unity of the country.
“The Middle Belt Forum played a vital role to see that, yes, they define who becomes the President of this country. Not out of selfish interest, but they felt we need the right person to be in the right place for the unity of this country.
“The Middle Belt Forum has not been treated fairly and I will give you an example. The situation whereby you get a fair treatment is when your people are well secured. 67% of the attacks, especially by the herdsmen, by the bandits in Nigeria, are centered in the Middle Belt Forum region, which means we’ve not been represented, despite the fact that the Middle Belt is the region that produced what is feeding the country.
“That’s why they call the state like Benue, the food basket of the nation. So, with the contribution of the Middle Belt Forum in the affairs of Nigeria, we felt Nigeria has not given us a fair treatment. And that is why part of the lectures given by one of the resource persons emphasized more on the treatment meted on the Middle Belt Forum, that the right thing must be done.”
He further said that the right thing must be done, adding that the youth must wake up and rise up to the challenge.
According to him, the struggle for the Middle Belt Forum is not about the Middle Belt nation, “it’s about the unity of Nigeria. We have some elements from the South-western part of the country calling for the Oduduwa Republic. We have some calling for Biafra, lately we have some calling for the Arewa Republic. The Middle Belt Forum said, we are not going to be part of this. Nigeria is one.”...CLICK TO READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶▶
