By Emmanuel Gandu
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE DEMAND FOR THE CREATION OF MIDDLE BELT REGION
The insistence of the people and her Leadership for the creation of a Middle Belt region had always been hinged on the premise of :
(1) Equity in distribution of resoirces
(2) Justice in political and administrative decisions
(3) Fair play
(4) Freedom
(5) It was glaringly evident that all ethnic groups and nationalities including those in the area identified as the Middle Belt Region had settled in their portion of Nigeria before the 1914 amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates by the British Colonial government.
(6) The Middle Belt region is viable, have more land and population than any of the other regions, thus meeting one of the basic criteria for the creation of regions, states, or local governments.
(7) The Middle Belt is the food basket of Nigeria.
(8) It’s the home of solid minerals in Nigeria
(9) The vibrant human resources is a catalyst for a fast and productive capital development.
In the words of Dr. Bitrus Pogu to press further for the creation of a Middle Belt region, he had this to say – “The Middle Belt has been the most battered region in this country.
Before independence we suffered from the British Indirect Rule administration where they placed our people under the Caliphate, and Sultanate systems, state creation and local government delineation has never been fair to us.
Most lamentably is the constant religious crisis, the attacks by armed Fulani militia herders, terrorism and banditry/kidnapping from religious and tribal warlords, etc have targeted the Middle Belt people to a disastrous, unimaginable, and catastrophic consequences.” – Bitrus Pogu (2023)
FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE THE HOSTILE NATURE OF THE HAUSA FULANI NORTH TOWARDS THE MIDDLE BELT
(1) The Colonial legacy was in itself founded upon the principle of social injustice, differential and preferential treatment. This was comfortably adopted by the Northern Hausa Fulani in defining the role of ethnic, economic, religious and political administration for their exclusive dominance of multi ethnic, multi cultural, and multi religious Northern Nigeria.
(2) The Hausa Fulani have a political system that has a centralized authority, administrative machinery, Political machinery, judicial machinery, and a functional military hegemony of succession. This binds them into a formidable entity.
In contrast, the Middle Belt nationalities are a conglomerate of diverse tribes who pay allegiance first to their various tribes and interests before the common good.
(3 The Hausa Fulan have sustained the Sardauna legacy by ensuring political dominance, economic security, military control, and a veritable social cohesion for their agenda from generation to generation.
(4) The North was hostile to the Middle Belt Region by amongst several other things, denying and alienating them from any active political role or participation within the colonial hierarchical structure at the provincial, regional, and national levels.
(5) Regrettably, the Middle Belt was grossly in lack of these cherished ideals of the Hausa Fulani, hence the bane of developmental projects for the Middle Belt.
Peace 🙏
22/3/2025
Watch out for part 3 in the series next Saturfay 29/3/2025
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