The Federation of Middle Belt People on Wednesday distanced itself from the peace conference organised by the northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, in Kaduna on Tuesday, saying the North was not ready for peace. The Coordinator of the FMBP in Plateau State, Mr. Manasseh Watyil, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, said that Middle Belt leaders were not taken along in the peace process.



Also, the Special Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Pam Ayuba, described the meeting as one without sincerity of purpose.

Just as the Middle Belt criticised its non-inclusion in the conference, a civil rights activist, Sheu Sani, accused the ACF of using the forum to drum up support for an unnamed preferred Northern presidential aspirant for the 2015 presidential election.

The peace conference was said to have been convened to address the increasing incidences of insecurity in the North, particularly activities of a militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram; the Tiv-Fulani clashes in Benue State and the incessant crises in Plateau State in the Middle Belt. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,000 people have been killed in bombings in the North East and the Federal Capital Territory by Boko Haram.

Also, the crises in Plateau State have left thousands of people dead. Although the Tuesday meeting was attended by a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rted) and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, notable traditional rulers from the Middle Belt were absent.

They included the Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawu Torkula; Ochi Idoma, Elias Ikoyi Obekpa; Aku Uka Wukarri, Agyo Masaka Ibi and Gwom Jos, Gyang Buba. Faulting the peace conference, Watyil said that it was a gathering of people with political and economic interests.

He wondered why a former Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma; Air Cdr Dan Suleiman; Prof Jerry Gana and other stakeholders in the Middle Belt were absent if the meeting was for peace. Watyil said, "As far as we are concerned, they are not prepared for peace, simply because the people who should propagate the peace, especially the traditional and political institutions, are absent "Even the Boko Haram activities are tailored to Middle Belt. There are series of attacks in the Middle Belt, yet the people that matter, including in religion, politics and traditional institutions were practically absent.

"If the ACF wants peace in the North, the position of Middle Belt in the North should be redefined." Also faulting the meeting, the special adviser to the Plateau State governor said such gatherings had not yielded positive results in the past."

Ayuba told one of our correspondents that although he could not say why some leaders from the Middle Belt were absent, he recalled that the Gbong Gwom Jos, Gyang Buba and the Sultan of Sokoto, had exchanged hot words in one of such gatherings in the past.

Also a prominent Tiv leader and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, said that it was obvious that some Middle Belt leaders boycotted the meeting because they did not want to associate with the North.

Tsav lamented that unlike in the time of the late Sarduna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, northerners had allowed religion to divide them. "The Sarduana dealt with every competent Northerner irrespective of religion. Northern leaders are selfish and these are the people who have benefitted from the North. They are fighting for themselves," he said.

The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, however said the organisation sent letters to most of the northern leaders, be they political, traditional or religious.

He said, "Reports reached us that the courier services used did not deliver all of them. And that explained our inclusion of invitation by groups in the adverts.

"Some understood and came for the conference on the basis of the adverts, while some others did not. That explained what happened? The conference was intended to bring northerners together to talk things over and reconcile themselves."

Explaining his position on the conference, Sani, in an e-mail message to one of our correspondents, "The conference is nothing but a meaningless talk shop and a gathering of relevance-seekers, political pensioners and hired guns of Presidency.



http://www.punchng.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=7099:north-not-ready-for-peace-%E2%80%94m%E2%80%99belt&Itemid=542

So all these big talk gowon was running up and down claiming they are holding peace talk for insecurity in the north is all a waste of time on him, his people have wising up they distance themselves from him,talk about betrayal from his people

Look things are not going to be the same for the core north anymore,if i speak my mind now you people will call me all sort of names,look things are happening in Nigeria,the tribal war is still going on while most of you choose to pretend as its all good; okayoooo i dey look.

How do they think a servant can make peace with his owner?
A master has the right to do with his servant whatever he wishes.

Am watching to see how the dust will finally settle

Interesting! Civil war partners now rabid enemies. The chicken has come to roost

lol at Igbos always waiting for civil war partners to fight each other. una go wait tire. get over the civil war, u bunch of bitter losers .

they'll be the first to run into gabon, ivory coast and cameroon where their is a civil war

lagcity:

lol at Igbos always waiting for civil war partners to fight each other. una go wait tire. get over the civil war, u bunch of bitter losers .

lagcity:

lol at Igbos always waiting for civil war partners to fight each other. una go wait tire. get over the civil war, u bunch of bitter losers .

It was not a "civil war", it was a genocide! The genocide started before the the so called war. Biafra did not declare war on Nigeria, it was Nigeria that declared the war on Biafra.

What made us to declare Biafra is what is making some "Northerners" right now to declare "Middle Belt".

It is not that we have not gotten over the genocide: we are everywhere in this country in case you don't know, but it is very ironical to see this "one" Nigeria champions trying to seek their own identity, just like we did.

Have we forgotten the genocide? Yes and no. No because we are not seeking for revenge and yes because it is part of our history as a people.

The only reason why we would accpet Nigeria, is that we are not subjected to slavery of any sort. The Jihardists must realise that it is that they either pipe low and respect our rights of existence and freedom or face isolation. This time around, it is not about the Igbos, it is about other ethnic nations who were once used as a bait in a bid to swallow us.

This is the dawn of a new era. The "one" Nigeria myth has been busted and if we don't sit down now and negotiate the basis of our oneness, then Biafra is beckoning and I have no choice than to run to her embrace.

lagcity:

lol at Igbos always waiting for civil war partners to fight each other. una go wait tire. get over the civil war, u bunch of bitter losers . 

lol to you Igbo-phobian, at least we are not killing each others in the Eastern region.

ak47mann:

The Federation of Middle Belt People on Wednesday distanced itself from the peace conference organised by the northern socio-political group, the Arewa Consultative Forum, in Kaduna on Tuesday, saying the North was not ready for peace. The Coordinator of the FMBP in Plateau State, Mr. Manasseh Watyil, in an interview with one of ourcorrespondents on Wednesday, said that Middle Belt leaders were not taken along in the peace process.



Also, the Special Adviser to the Plateau State Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Pam Ayuba, described the meeting as one without sincerity of purpose.

Just as the Middle Belt criticised its non-inclusion in the conference, Sheu Sani, accused the ACF of using the forum to drum up support for an unnamed preferred Northern presidential aspirant for the 2015 presidential election.

The peace conference was said to have been convened to address the increasing incidences of insecurity in the North, particularly activities of a militant Islamic sect, Boko Haram; the Tiv-Fulani clashes in Benue State and the incessant crises in Plateau State in the Middle Belt. Since the beginning of this year, more than 1,000 people have been killed in bombings in the North East and the Federal Capital Territory by Boko Haram.

Also, the crises in Plateau State have left thousands of people dead. Although the Tuesday meeting was attended by a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (rted) and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, notable traditional rulers from the Middle Belt were absent.

[b]They included the Tor Tiv, Alfred Akawu Torkula; Ochi Idoma, Elias Ikoyi Obekpa; Aku Uka Wukarri, Agyo Masaka Ibi and Gwom Jos, Gyang Buba. Faulting the peace conference, Watyil said that it was a gathering of people with political and economic interests.

He wondered why a former Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma; Air Cdr Dan Suleiman; Prof Jerry Gana and other stakeholders in the Middle Belt were absent if the meeting was for peace. Watyil said, "As far as we are concerned, they are not prepared for peace, simply because the people who should propagate the peace, especially the traditional and political institutions, are absent "Even the Boko Haram activities are tailored to Middle Belt. There are series of attacks in the Middle Belt, yet the people that matter, including in religion, politics and traditional institutions were practically absent.

"If the ACF wants peace in the North, the position of Middle Belt in the North should be redefined." Also faulting the meeting, the special adviser to the Plateau State governor said such gatherings had not yielded positive results in the past."

Ayuba told one of our correspondents that although he could not say why some leaders from the Middle Belt were absent, [b]he recalled that the Gbong Gwom Jos, Gyang Buba and the Sultan of Sokoto, had exchanged hot words in one of such gatherings in the past.

Also a prominent Tiv leader and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, said that it was obvious that some Middle Belt leaders boycotted the meeting because they did not want to associate with the North.

Tsav lamented that unlike in the time of the late Sarduna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, northerners had allowed religion to divide them. "The Sarduana dealt with every competent Northerner irrespective of religion. Northern leaders are selfish and these are the people who have benefitted from the North. They are fighting for themselves," he said.

The ACF National Publicity Secretary, Anthony Sani, however said the organisation sent letters to most of the northern leaders, be they political, traditional or religious.

He said, "Reports reached us that the courier services used did not deliver all of them. And that explained our inclusion of invitation by groups in the adverts.

"Some understood and came for the conference on the basis of the adverts, while some others did not. That explained what happened? The conference was intended to bring northerners together to talk things over and reconcile themselves."

Explaining his position on the conference, Sani, in an e-mail message to one of our correspondents, "The conference is nothing but a meaningless talk shop and a gathering of relevance-seekers, political pensioners and hired guns of Presidency.

@topic,  Lol, maybe these people are no longer Middle belts becos to some NL eediots only Igbos don't want to associate with Hausa-Fulani Muslims,  Day by day these people continue to vindicate Ojukwu's action. Am laughing in Boko haram.

The funny thing is, people are just lump groups together. WTF is "North", "East" or "West". Keep deceiving yourselves. That era has ended! We will not be tools for anybody.

jason123:

The funny thing is, people are just lump groups together. WTF is "North", "East" or "West". Keep deceiving yourselves. That era has ended! We will not be tools for anybody.

We! We!! who are those you are referring to We?? Do you mean the pple of Middle Belt or Itsekiri? Pls educate me.

....

^^^

guys things have now change for the best, middle belt are now waken up but don't no how late it is,bad thing is not good cos the pay back is always devastating,

I wanted to ignore this thread but I believe people have a very wrong precepsion of the so called middle belt

1. They have all the right to ignore a meeting that is non-profitable

2. No one is using anyone, they are on there own accord

3. The so called middle belt leaders don't speak for their state but for themselves

4. Indigeneship is the problem in the middle belt now, Not the fulani par-say

5. If the middle belt want there own political forum, then so be it, after all there are 6 geo-political zones in the country of which the middle-belt is part of

6. in the middle, there are also hausa, fulani, and kanuri in each state as indigenes

alj_harem:

I wanted to ignore this thread but I believe people have a very wrong precepsion of the so called middle belt

1. They have all the right to ignore a meeting that is non-profitable

2. No one is using anyone, they are on there own accord

3. The so called middle belt leaders don't speak for their state but for themselves

4. Indigeneship is the problem in the middle belt now, Not the fulani par-say

5. If the middle belt want there own political forum, then so be it, after all there are 6 geo-political zones in the country of which the middle-belt is part of

6. in the middle, there are also hausa, fulani, and kanuri in each state as indigenes

You are better off ignoring all threads. Nobody is really interested in the propagation of ignorance.
Of course, nobody is using the Middle Belt, our observations are decieving us and their leaders are just complaining for no reason, while NL's minister of mediocrity spreads "truth and wisdom," the real koko of the matter.

When is the next story teller coming along?

How can one take northerners serious?the same people that want C.A.N. to be ban read.

BAN CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAN)SAY JUBRIL AMINU

Some in the audience at the just concluded Northern Peace Conference were stunned when a former minister of Petroleum and former education minister, ex-Senator Jubril Aminu called for the banning of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Jubril Aminu claimed that of CAN was not proscribed, Muslims would be forced to form the Muslim Association of Nigeria. However, what many asked after Mr. Aminu made the comment is what he wants done to the Nigerian Supreme Council on Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) or the Supreme Council on Sharia in Nigeria.

It was shocking to hear ex-Senator Aminu, a former Nigerian ambassador to the United States make such a claim especially as the Central Bank of Nigeria is currently in the process of promoting Islamic Banking as an alternative form of banking. Many at the event are puzzled at the reason why a man, supposedly a statesman would target a particular religion and ask that they be denied their freedom of association rights as guaranteed in the Nigerian constitution at a onference convened to deliberate on pace.

It would be recalled that durng his time as Babangida's minister of education, the same Professor Jubril Aminu introduced the controversial policy of designing Nigerian school uniforms to be compliant to Islamic tradition, a policy that was stoutly resisted by the Christian community.

Reacting to Aminu's calls, a Christian Pastor who has acheived national renown in other fields asked "since Aminu has been born till now, can he tell me how many times he has heard that Christians attacked a church, or that Christians attacked a religious organization. Even Aminu himself know the people who formet violence in the name of religion in Nigeria. As Christ said in Mattew 7:16, by their fruits you shall know them"

@@@@@@@@@@@@

there nothing so amusing to see Mr Boko alj-harem and Mr Boko Navfa trying to go on defence whenever there is a thread like this one,then they realise there isnt anything to defend in a sandy desert that has been breeding vampires for decades; homosaexuals;abokis looking for girls for rituals;more dog ready to be eaten in Naswara;etc

before u know it they ve gone off topic to talk trash as always in pretence to ignore the issues raised

can i just say a typical stubborn mallams;

lagcity:

lol at Igbos always waiting for civil war partners to fight each other. una go wait tire. get over the civil war, u bunch of bitter losers .

Not sure why you are campaigning for peace when there is no war.

What I find very shameful about that excercise last week is that speaker after speaker from Middle belt criticised a situation where Northerners are killing Northerners but none was courageous enough to make the point that it is unacceptable to kill your fellow countrymen no matter where they come from.

And some shamefully decided to suggest that somehow Bokoharam is protest against bad governance, while if anything the very concept of Bokoharam is protest against any kind of progress whatsoever.

What does BokoHaram stand for other than the policies of Taliban that frowns against young girls going to school? Is that what Ribadu calls Rebelion?

Honestly these people have a lot of waking up to do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jason123:

The funny thing is, people are just lump groups together. WTF is "North", "East" or "West". Keep deceiving yourselves. That era has ended! We will not be tools for anybody.

Pls expatiate on the bolded

Torch1:

We! We!! who are those you are referring to We?? Do you mean the pple of Middle Belt or Itsekiri? Pls educate me.

The so- called "minorities" is the "WE".

High_Chief:

Pls expatiate on the bolded

The SS and the MB will NOT be willing tools for anybody!

but middle belt had lost a lot of people since a SS man won election, don't you think about over a 2000 people that died this year alone in Nigerian experiment

jason123:

The SS and the MB will NOT be willing tools for anybody!

I really and truly hope so