The former Nigerian Ambassador to Switzerland and one of the founding
members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande
has declared that there is no place called middle-belt in Nigeria,
adding that ‘North is north.’
Kwande, who is a member of the Northern Elders Forum, insisted that
the North remains one, while noting that the current chairman of the
forum is from the so-called middle-belt.
Speaking in an interview with Daily Sun, the former Ambassador said,
“Forget about what some people are saying that there is nothing like one
North anymore. Following the death of Maitama Sule, who was the former
chairman of the forum, a new chairman has been appointed in person of
Paul Unongo who is from the Middle Belt.“So, what are you saying? I can categorical tell you that we are one
in the North. If I may ask, have you ever seen any office of these
Middle Belt groups anywhere in places they refer to as Middle Belt?
“The Northern Elders Forum will soon meet to discuss restructuring,
whether to support it or not. But the expression of one of us should not
be generalised; personal opinion or idea should not be taken as that of
the Northern Elders Forum.
“Members of the forum meet regularly to analyse and come up with
position that will be of help to the North and the entire country.“Recently, various Middle Belt groups met in Abuja and came up with a
position that they were not part of the North. What do you make of
statements like this when your forum and others in the North are
claiming one North?
“Then what are you going to say about three or four pressure groups
in the South-West? They have different groups and we also have different
groups in the North. But the Middle Belt is part of the North. Some of
the advocates of Middle Belt went as far as claiming that places like
Zuru in Kebbi State, Gwoza in Adamawa State, among others, are part of
the Middle Belt.
“The core Middle Belt states are Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, and
Kwara. Go and ask these people called leaders of these Middle Belt
groups where is the boundary of Middle Belt? You see them referring to
places in Kebbi, Adamawa and other places in the North-East and
North-West as Middle Belt. So, there is the need for a clear definition
of Middle Belt. But you can see the sign of Northern unity in the
appointment of Paul Unongo as chairman of Northern Elders Forum.
“When we had the constitutional conference, delegates advanced the
idea of restructuring. Government is a continuous thing. We have to
move; we just have to keep developing as a country. Even now, there are
people in the North that don’t believe in restructuring. The most
important is to examine critically I there is any good thing about
restructuring or consider the advantage. Like Nnamdi Kanu said he wants
Biafra, are you telling me it is everybody in the South-East that wants
Biafra? Certainly not.
“Many Nigerians see the position of Northern Elders Forum concerning
the quit notice issued by Arewa Youths as too critical and capable of
escalating the issue on ground. As member of the forum, don’t you think
the outburst of your organization, especially the spokesperson,
Professor Ango Abdullahi, could further deepen the disaffection?”
Daily Post