Reverend Samuel Ayuba Kantiok of the Anglican Church has tasked the federal government to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties of minority groups in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria.
Kantiok made the call during the public presentation of a book, “The Middle Belt and the Forces of Injustice and Terrorism in Nigeria”, which he authored.
He claimed that the Middle Belt is generally subjugated by the Hausa/Fulani and the Kanuri alliance.
“We are subsumed right from creation into second and now even pushed to 3rd citizenship. If Nigeria must continue, there must be justice for the middle belt and as it is in the present government of Muhammad Buhari, they have declared war against the middle belt.
“The Nigerian government is not incapable of solving the problem but it is a deliberate efforts to decimate and subjugate the region.
“The middle belt is the first target of subjugation, the Middle belt has a direct contact with the Easterners. The Fulani expansionists agenda is aimed to conquer everybody whether you are from the South South or East you are to be conquered.
“We are calling that Nigeria must be restructured in a manner that all and sundry will have a stake, we must be made a stakeholder. The child of either an Igbo or Yoruba or from Southern Kaduna should have an equal opportunity in the society,” he said.
The cleric noted that the 2023 general election is referendum whether Nigeria should exist or go separate ways.
“Middle belt must solve their identity crisis and demand for their rights because freedom is not given on a platter of gold,” Kantiok added.
Dr John Dara, a former presidential aspirant and Middle Belt leader, said the struggle for middle belt dominance will continue until victory and urged middle beltans not to be apologetic for their role in the Nigeria’s civil war to preserve its unity.
Dara, who was the chairman of the occasion, in his speech said the region was faced with crisis, adding that Nigeria will only survive if the region was given its status in the scheme of affairs.
He alongside other leaders of the Middle Belt region vowed not to submit to what they said is continuous attempt to subjugate them in the affairs of the country.
“There are elements in northern Nigeria that would say there is nothing like middle belt but of course you are living in delusion you are denying the obvious.
“The whole of north central geopolitical zone is part of that middle belt but in addition parts of the northeast and north west are also part of the middle belt and those who want to live in denial know while they are doing so but the struggle to establish our domination will come because we are the majority. It will continue until victory is won.
“There is alot of misconception about the middle belt, the middle belt as the name implies is the central part of of Nigeria from the Southern boundaries of northern Nigeria to a latitude that runs from Zuru in the Northwest to Gwoza in the Northeast all the ethnic nationalities within those two bands they are nearly 200, small units but together they are the overwhelming majority of northern region, so there is this misconception that 200 or so nationalities together constitute minority in Northern Nigeria.
“It’s like standing logic on its head and if you look at it geographically they are two troughs of the northern region, when you look at it in terms of states and local government involved, it is clear that they are more than half of northern region.
“We believe that they will be more equity and fairness in allocation of resources when the middle belt is properly situated, we believe also that political Leadership in Nigeria will not be lopsided when the middle belt is properly recognized.
“In any case for the purpose of security and peace it is important for the middle belt to be given it’s proper place in the scheme of things, we believe we’ve come a long way from the time when people never cared about the interest of the middle belt, it is inevitable that you have to carry the middle belt along now in other to get anything done, we are confident this book will strengthen the awareness,” Dara stated.
The father of the day, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman, stressed the need for the people of the middle belt to unite so that their destiny will not be determined by others.
The event was attended by political, religious and traditional leaders from the region, including students, youths and women organisations.
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