Middle Belt as an Utopian Grandeur We in the so called Middle Belt are proverbially the people who eat from both sides of the divide. Rather than having a common front in advancing our cause, we always resort to subtle blackmail to achieve our temporary desires. When other regions are striving for real growth, we hide under religious subterfuge crying wolf where there isnt any. At a time when states like Delta and Rivers are accommodating Fulani herdsmen and allowing grazing on their lands, we the so-called middle belt are up in arms against the grazers and we talk of growth. If the herdsmen are troubleshooters, how come they enjoy unabridged acceptance in the Delta? We cant say to be a people when we arent receptive to others. The perennial threat and jamboree of always aligning with other regions to spite the monolithic north is becoming old and uninteresting. That threat is now an open secret of playing the victims of domination and marginalization. The middle belt like the monolithic north has benefitted immensely from the contraption called Nigeria. My history book told me that General Yakubu, General Ibrahim, General Theophilus Danjuma, General Joe Garba, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, General Abdulsalami Abubakar,General Jeremiah Timkbtu Usaini, General Jona Jang,Senator Iyorchia Ayu,General Lawrence Onoja, General Ibrahim Ogohi,General Isaac Alfa, General Ibrahim Alfa, General David Mark and other endless middle belt names were once and still in charge of Nigeria. What did these non actors brought forth as dividends of their exploits on the corridor of power? Niger and Benue state are two embarrassing reference of misrepresentations. Till this moment, you cant drive on a tarred road from Abuja to Minna, same with Benue where you cant equally drive from Makurdi to Oturpko on a tarred road. Arent these leaders of the so-called middle belt extraction? Sometimes, break away is very good for a defined interest .The middle belt struggle is nothing but wishful thinking. I m yet to see the unity in that assumption : until Benue n Plateau n by extension Taraba can come together and push a viable common front then you cant say there is a middle belt. The concept is an utopian grandeur. You cant define a group solely by its religious bias. If the middle belt is defined by religion, then the agitation is on a long thing . First, Plateau and Benue are the only states whose population can be weakly defined by religion, the other so called middle belt states are a mixed grill of both christians n muslims. So where is the so called middle belt struggle? How many endowment funds have the agitators of the middle belt put in place since the days of Joseph Tarka? How formidable is the middle belt when the TIVs can never allow the Idomas a feel of the government house or the igalas giving the Igbiras a bite of Lugard house? Aligning with South or West does not in anyway change the equation. The monolithic North and the West still pull the string of effective mobilization of their people. I challenge unapologetically the proponents of the utopian middle belt to name a formidable leader of the middle belt that can put a call and the middle belters would respond , apart from those who would resort to using religion as a mobilization tool. You cant talk of a middle belt when you dont have a blueprint and a galvaniser. As for the north,whether you like or not, there are just two people that can speak for the North; General Muhammadu Buhari and HRH Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. And when they speak, believe me, the northerners will listen.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 09:02:28 +0000
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