THE battle for autonomy among the constituent parts of the the North raged, on Saturday, with youths from the Middle Belt drawing a battle line with Northern elders under the auspices of Northern Elders Forum (NEF) over the concept of one North.

While the youths, under the coalition of the Middle Belt Council, consisting of all groups representing the region, threatened to ostracise any individual of the Middle Belt extraction trying to undermine the political autonomy of the area, the elders insisted on the sanctity of the North as a monolithic entity.

The youth, particularly listed a Second Republic Minister and current chairman of the NEF, Chief Paul Unongo, as one of those leaders of the Middle Belt, who risked being ostracized for allegedly undermining the autonomy of the Middle Belt.

The battle of wits came barely a week after a stalwart of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande declared as a ruse, the existence of a geographical area called Middle Belt, separate from the perceived monolithic North.

Unongo, who is a former Minister of Mines and Power in the First Republic and hails from Benue State, an area considered to be stronghold of Middle Belt, was recently appointed to lead the NEF following the demise of its chairman Alhaji Maitama Sule.

An angry president of the Middle Belt Youth Council, Emma Zopmal said in Jos, Plateau State, that there was nothing like a monolithic North, adding that the Middle Belt existed differently from the North.

“Middle Belt exists differently from the North and there is nothing like monolithic North. We have lost elder Paul Unongo to the Arewas and he can never represent Middle Belt anywhere.

“Unongo and others have lost the script long ago and therefore they are not relevant in the Middle Belt not even among the Arewas”

In a separate interview with Sunday Tribune, the Convener of the Middle Belt Patriotic Front, Mr Ibrahim Bunu, said Unongo could not speak for the Middle Belt.

“Our main leader widely recognised now is Professor Adamu Baike, who we strongly believe can take the Middle Belt to the next level. Right from the beginning, we have never been part of the North and will never be one. We have no alliance with the north.

“All these people from the Middle Belt romancing with the North are doing so for recognition and in order to make ends meet. They have no following here. They have been ostracized. We are watching them; 2019 is just around the corner,” he said.



Unity of North sacrosant— Unongo

But in another development, Unongo has submitted that the unity of the North is sacrosanct just as the NEF’s deputy secretary, Mr Mustapha Wali, faulted the Federal Government for not taking drastic step to nip in the bud the constant conflicts between farmers and Fulani herdsmen in the country.

Unongo, who led NEF members on a courtesy visit to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday, insisted that the forum would continue to strive for the unity of the North in the face of daunting challenges facing the region

Unongo said that the meeting of the members would be premised on issues that will bond the North together.

He further said that the leadership of the association fell on him with the demise of Sule and maintained that over the years, Benue had been part of the North.

Also speaking, Wali accused Federal Government of not taking proactive measures to curb the constant conflicts between farmers and herdsmen which he said had spread to many states of the federation.

Speaking on the anti grazing law recently introduced by Benue State government the scribe requested for contents of the new law and enjoined the state government to ensure that the law has human face.

Welcoming the elders, Governor Samuel Ortom thanked the Northern Elders Forum for the support the group has extended to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ortom said that the words of elders are words of wisdom and further charged them to rally support for the president in the task of governance.

The governor, however, used the opportunity to intimate the elders with the reason for initiating the anti-grazing law by his administration.

Ortom said that the wanton destruction of lives and property occasioned by the incessant attacks of herdsmen prompted the state to come out with the law which he said is now a global trend.

According to him, ‘the introduction of anti grazing law is aimed to protect lives and property of people of the state including herdsmen.

‘‘At the time we assumed office, we were faced with insecurity particularly, herdsmen attack. We tried other areas like series of meeting with herdsmen and farmer, fortified security apparatus in the state yet, there was no positive result, then having travelled far and near and discovered that ranching has become a global trend in curbing conflicts between herdsmen and farmers, we decided to initiate the executive bill.”

“The state assembly a.so followed due process before its passage, public hearing was done and the herdsmen were in attendance at the end of the day the bill was passed into law,” he said.

http://www.tribuneonlineng.com/cracks-middle-belt-groups-disown-north/

Even the middle belt regions don't want to live with the North

Iyam not understanding

who wants to be associated with parasites??useless and frustrated almajiris

Hold yr own
You better off on yr own
As for the boko haram north
No region want you ,try Chad or niger republic

The Nigeria project ends in 2014; its manifestation will run through another 10yrs i.e till 2023 untill it will finally come to an end in 2024.

I've never considered these states (Benue, Kogi, Kwara) as northern states

QueenSekxy:
who wants to be associated with parasites??useless and frustrated almajiris

Almajiri is someone who leaves his home in search of knowlegde. Its good to be Almajira, try to be one or you will die as an illiterate/ignorant

Their is nothing like one North again Middle belt said so. Hausa And Fulani should respect that. Nnamdi Kanu have divided One North The same way Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba divided South East and South South . What goes around comes around.

Lalasticlala day never break to do the needful

They will still vote for a northerner in 2019.....MB will still prefer a northenee to lead them than a southerner

ShobayoEmma:
The Nigeria project ends in 2014; its manifestation will run through another 10yrs i.e till 2023 untill it will finally come to an end in 2024.

that is why we must not give up the fight

For the politically wise,when the core north wants the dirty jobs done they always give the hatchet job to a middle-belt stooge but when the chips are down they make sure that such "infidels/Kafirs" never partake in the power sharing formula.That is how Gowon was used in 1960s Nigeria before they show him the way out.Percieved attempt to return him to power by the Dimka's coup led to one of the bloody killings of mostly middle-cadre middle belt officers who were also involved in the counter-coup of July 29 1966.Mind you they acted as monolithic northern brothers to oust Gen.Ironsi but when they consolidate their hold on the army by the defective quota system policy,then the middle belt officers became the sacrificial lambs. Gideon Orkar's coup attempt to also reverse the core north domination again ended in another bloody executions.So why does foolish fellas like Paul Unongo thinks his headship of the NEF gives him a leverage while his home state of Benue,the entire middle belt region and even some regions down South are constantly but systematically being annihilated by the marauding hausa-fulanis So every middle beltan that still have the wellbeing of the region at heart should see through the grand deception of the core north.Was any middle belt movement invited to the satanic Kaduna's declaration? "One north/Nigeria" is only when a core northerners is in power.Pls let's think and act wise.

y joy is, Terkimbi is.not.the only voice

Good stuff from the Middle Belt.

The people from Middle Belt need to carve out an identity and a niche for themselves.

They have been submerged and diluted by the Core North, culturally,politically and economically.

They Core North remembers one North during elections,or when they need the middle belt.

The North is all shades of negativity that the Middle Belt must cut off or face being strangulated .

THE MIDDLE BELT SHOULD AVOID BEING USED AS PAWNS IN THE POLITICAL CHESSBOARD OF THE NORTH.

THE SUN MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN

babyfaceafrica:
They will still vote for a northerner in 2019.....MB will still prefer a northenee to lead them than a southerner

No brother man-it's the so called modern generation leaders of the regions that have been the sellouts e.g.Gov.Ortom of Benue and Lalong of Plateau.Joseph Tarka and other pioneers of the middle belt movement were very resolute and uncompromising.Check out the senseless killings in their states and how sheepish they have been acting not to offend their hausa-fulani ogas. It's believed the afflicted masses of the middle-belt are now more wiser than ever.

guterMann:
Good stuff from the Middle Belt.

The people from Middle Belt need to carve out an identity and a niche for themselves.

They have been submerged and diluted by the Core North, culturally,politically and economically.

They Core North remembers one North during elections,or when they need the middle belt.

The North is all shades of negativity that the Middle Belt must cut off or face being strangulated .

THE MIDDLE BELT SHOULD AVOID BEING USED AS PAWNS IN THE POLITICAL CHESSBOARD OF THE NORTH.

THE SUN MUST SET FORTH AT DAWN

Thanks man.Big up!

Paperwhite:
No brother man-it's the so called modern generation leaders of the regions that have been the sellouts e.g.Gov.Ortom of Benue and Lalong of Plateau.Joseph Tarka and other pioneers of the middle belt movement were very resolute and uncompromising.Check out the senseless killings in their states and how sheepish they have been acting not to offend their hausa-fulani ogas. It's believed the afflicted masses of the middle-belt are now more wiser than ever.

let us wait till 2019,then