2015: THE BATTLE FOR THE MIDDLE BELT ISAAC SHOBAYO periscopes the political undertone in the emergence of a new group in the Middle Belt to rival the clout of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) ahead of next year’s elections. THE Middle Belt Forum (MBF), as a pressure group, has been a rallying point for the people of North-Central for a very long time. Its sphere of influence goes beyond the geo-political zone to also include some parts of Taraba, Adamawa and Kaduna states. But its activities are more feasible and well-pronounced in the North-Central zone. For quite sometime now, the MBF has been a torn in the flesh of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in terms of political direction for the northern states. While the ACF wants a united political front, the MBF is craving for a separate identity on the premise that the ideal of one North is a ploy to use the Middle Belt as a pawn to achieve the Hausa/Fulani agenda. ACF has always perceived the position of the MBF as antithetical to its course as well as the championing of northern interest. MBF at several occasions had questioned what the ACF tagged collective northern interest and argued that what is so professed is an agenda of some clique within the North- West and North-East geo-political zones to continue to ride in political prominence on the back of the Middle Belt. It is against this background that the two bodies have been operating at a cross purposes. While the ACF wants power to return to the North in 2015, the MBF, on the other hand, is rooting for the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to run for a second term. The leadership of the MBF, late last year, visited the president to pledge their loyalty to his administration and to intimate him with the support of MBF for his second term bid. Also, MBF, at a recent mini conference on the national dialogue in Jos, Plateau through Governor Jonah Jang emphatically declared that the geo-political zone was in full support of the second term bid of President Jonathan and added that Middle Belt would leave no stone unturned to position itself for the presidency after Jonathan might have completed his second term in 2019. The general impression among the people of the zone, especially advocates of a separate identity for the Middle Belt is that the zone has helped to sustain the prevailing unity more than any other parts of the country. It is also believed that the zone has contributed immensely to the enthronement of leaders of the country but have no meaningful development to show for their contributions. It was thus resolved by the people that henceforth development of the zone should never be compromised. From all indications, the Forum dictates the pace of political event within the geo- political zone and has now assumed its megaphone. Though there are those who still believe in the ideal of one North and therefore fraternise with the ACF, majority tenaciously still hold on to the idea of separate identity. But just as the MBF, ACF rivalry continues, another pressure group from the Middle Belt was recently born. The pressure group christened North Central Consultative Assembly (NCCA) aims to promote the socio- economic and political interest of the area. It is led by the former deputy senate president, Ibrahim Mantu. The debut of the pressure group has been a source of concern to some of the stakeholders within the geo-political zone, considering its agenda which seems parallel to the objectives of the MBF. The new formation in some quarters is considered an affront to the MBF and also a ploy to water down the influence of the MBF, considered the rallying point for the people of the geo-political zone. Recently, the leadership of NCCA visited the Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu, who challenged members of the new group to be an eye that sees and voice that speaks for states in the North-Central zone on issues of national interests and as well ensure their position on any issue is devoid of any religious or tribal sentiments. Aliyu, who threw his weight behind the formation of NCCA, implored the leadership to ensure that the new order was without any form of religious, tribal or political bias in order to command maximum followership and support. He said similar pressure groups were found to have promoted more of religious and political agenda against the common interest of the people, a development which, according to him, made such groups lack the needed patronage. While promising to introduce the new group to other governors in the zone for their endorsement and maximum support, Aliyu lamented that he and some of his colleagues in the zone were not consulted before delegates to the national conference from the region were picked. The debut of NCCA as a political pressure group has being a source of worry of some political bigwigs within the North-Central geo-political zone. To some of them, it is a threat to political survival and relevance of the MBF, which is currently being led by Professor Jerry Gana, as the voice of the Middle Belt. Despite the popularity and acceptance of the Forum, there are some people who still perceive it as a religious body on the ground that most of its members are Christians and they alleged that activities of the MBF are restricted to the Christian- dominated states in the North and hence their refusal to embrace it. So, the insinuation is certain quarters is that the NCCA was formed to checkmate activities, especially political relevance of the MBF in the North. A source close to NCCA told the Nigerian Tribune that the essence of its formation was to serve as the true voice of the North-Central region, saying that Assembly has a boundary and area of jurisdiction which cut across the six states within the zone, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. He further remarked that the scope of operations of MBF go beyond the North- Central area, adding that some parts of Taraba, Adamawa and Kaduna States were still being viewed as part of the Middle Belt. The source added that the parameters for determining Middle Belt were not well spell out. “North- Central Consultative Assembly is a pressure group for states within the North Central geo- political zone,” he reiterated. A member of the MBF and former military administrator of Delta State, Colonel John David Dungs (retd) said the formation of NCCA as a pressure group was diversionary. Dungs explained further that those behind the Assembly simply wanted to create a pressure group to challenge the influence of the MBF considered as the major umbrella body for the 13 states which make up the Middle Belt. The former military administrator, who said there was no rivalry between MBF and the Mantu-led NCCA, clarified that the former had been in existence for a long time with the crave for separate identity for the Middle Belt and has been playing a leading role in the geo political area called Middle Belt for a very long time. “The North Central Consultative Assembly is no threat to MBF. The formation is diversionary. But not withstanding its creation, it cannot override the influence of the MBF. They are simply running away from the name Middle Belt not to offend the core North. MBF remains the only umbrella body for 13 states in the North to express themselves.” In spite of the seeming rivalry, findings by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that both NACCA and MBF have a point of political intersection in their support for the re- election bid of President Jonathan. A source close to NCCA told Nigerian Tribune that it was not formed to rival the MBF but to cover some of the inadequacies of the latter. “There is an impression that the MBF is a platform for Christians in the North to express themselves, hence the refusal of some Muslims in the core middle belt to associate with the forum,” the source said.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Mar 2014 07:21:14 +0000
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