I grew up as a zealot of the Middle belt struggle believing that the plight of the minorities in Nigeria is the majority ethnic nationalities. Having been under tutelage of one of the founders of the concept in the first republic, I hated the Hausa Fulani with a passion. By the political orientation, I believed that every problem of the Northerner minorities was caused by the Hausa Fulani.
I joined the emancipation philosophy at the age of 18 while in form two in secondary school. In fact, my service in the promotion of ethnic and religious politics was unprecedented. This political indoctrination enslaved my conscience greatly that my mentor was second to God.
One contradiction that was eminent was the fact that despite much preached hatred of the Hausa Fulani and the used of religion as a political weapon, the best associates of my principal were Hausa Fulani. They were Muslims who visited him regularly and even had more access to him than any Christian minorities. He gave them more opportunities and invested more on them than anybody yet but in closet we were made not to trust or like them.
My mentor gave jobs in strategic positions to children of his Muslim political associates but will not do same to Christian allies. Today, I know many of such beneficiaries holding strategic positions even in the security services courtesy of my principal.
It is quite unfortunate that 57 years after the middle belt struggle was launched it still use religion and ethnicity as the tool for political negotiations. It started as minority struggle for identity but today reverse is the case. It has reduced its initial ideology to an engine of promoting ethnic and religious hatred. The fears of the minorities was based on cultural ideology for identity which was genuine but what is driving force of such agitation in contemporary Nigeria? The Northern minority struggle was for was a region of their own distinct from the Hausa Fulani so as to promote and preserve their culture and traditions. In 1967, the middle belt region was divided into three states and now six states, namely, Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Taraba, Niger and Kwara states. What then are the Northern minorities asking for? These states are governed by their own people and not Hausa Fulani. All the natural and statutory allocations are controlled by them. So why they cry for marginalization? Who is marginalizing who?
In my humbly but candid opinion, the minority struggle has lost focus and is a mere tool of exploitation in the hands of some leaders. It employ religious sentiments to manipulate the people for personal political patronage. The map of the middle belt struggle is no more geo political but religious. Anywhere in the North that there are Christian settlements is in their new middle belt map. This development has prevented the growth of Christian Association of Nigeria, Northern states because the politicians has hijacked their responsibilities for parochial benefits.
The middle belt agitation is a mere hand bag association without any known office and even registered members. There is no secretariat or even employees despite the huge clamor about it. There is no single project for the benefit of the people today the group can boast of archiving. The people of the middle belt languished in abject poverty, hunger and perineal instability. This high profile group has never attracted any intervention of either the federal government or international agencies despite the sophisticated networks of the leaders. The middle belt leadership has never contributed relief materials to the crisis victims in the region except to visit government houses on such occasions for their welfare packages. The forum only exist whenever there is political activity, then the leaders dust their secretariat bag to make weighty statements which will attract attention. Once they are settled, then that will be the end of the issue. In 2003, there was laud noise about marginalization, the middle belt leaders threatened not to support Obasanjo, finally when they stroke a deal and went with him, he gave them three positions, two ambassadorial positions and on Special Adviser. The leader of the forum gave his wife and daughter, while the Chairman, Group Captain Dan Suleman took the other position and went to Russia as ambassador. That was all.
The middle belt leadership lack the moral standing to used religion as a tool, why? All those whose sustained them financially during periods of the great travails are or were Muslims. The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, solidly financed and sustained the middle belt leadership when President Obasanjo had sour relationship with some of them.
Who brought Professor Jerry Gana to lime light? General Ibrahim Babangida, Muslim and so many of such instances.
On the contrary, the middle belt people have been at the receiving end while their leaders live in abuja and can only issue press statements from the comfort of their mansions. Unfortunately the the younger minds, even though enlightened, they have been enslaved by this hypocrisy of religious manipulation. What is religious about what is happening? Is hunger Christian or Muslim or what is the tribe of poverty? In looting the treasury, they are neither Muslims nor Christians but for the sake of dominating the people religion and ethnicity become an issue. Granted, the crisis had also given some level of justification for some sort of fear, however, who are the financiers? I believed the same people, just to create fear and panic so as to avoid accountability. How many poor people can afford an AK 47? Who provided it and for what? If its for the defence and protection of the society why are their children not involved? These deceit of a few who had been ripping the sweat of the people in the name of a sectional, religious but non existing Organisation deserves re-appraisal.
Recently, they re-grouped because 2015 is in focus. They visited the President to lure him to contest the election. Thereafter, they issued a statement to that effect. I have no quarrel with their visit but has so many issues with their statement. If they are canvassing support for the President for the second time, I challenged them to show basis. If its on the basis of religious sentiments, have the President associated with the suffering of the middle belt Christians? After the post election violence did he care to visit or send anybody to visit them? Has the President send any form of assistance whether from his personal earnings to assist those Christians whose worship places were destroyed? Sanusi Lamido Sanusi donated 100 million Naira to his people in Kano during crisis, what prevented you from doing same Mr President? Will Goodluck Jonathan be a Christian to us only for the sake of election?
Another sad aspect of this visit is that among the middle belt leaders there are people who has once contested for presidency but now preferred to be political tools. Why can't the middle belt produce a person to contest but preferred the role of palace servant? Is there no capable Christian minority in the North to contest the 2015 general elections? In as much as there is much clamor for power to return upwards, it will be in our interest to present a candidate instead of trans river Niger slavery which is worst than the hegemony. The middle belt had suffered worst neglect under the southern Christian leaders. Obasanjo started it and Goodluck has continued unabated. I challenged the leadership of the middle belt forum to blow their trumpets instead of blowing others.
On a Northern Christian President I stand in 2015.
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