You Can’t Dictate The Future Of Nigerians, South, Middle Belt Leaders Warn North
By Alice Okon
The Fulani North cannot dictate the future of Nigeria, Southern and Middle Belt leaders have warned.
A communique issued after it’s meeting on Monday, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders in Abuja condemned the resolution of the Northern Governors meeting saying that the forum does not even represent the dominant opinion of Middle Belt peoples.
SMBLF said the Northern Governors’ Forum meeting coming aftermath of the ENDSARS protest when Nigerians should be putting heads together nationally to seek solutions to common problems is most “distractive, divisive and made Nigeria widely scattered as against the “indivisibility ‘ promoted in the said meeting.
The group said “Where would this country be heading to if we also decide to call our own meeting with our Governors and top officials in the Federal Government? We do not see any responsibility displayed by those who have been serially accused of sectionalising our national government to allow such insensitivity and total subversion of the unity of the country that only exists on the lips of those behind the meeting.”
The leaders said “It not also lost on us that the communique of the meeting was making space for National Executive Council nominations to a sectional initiative as the utmost level of disregard to the rest of the country whom they are treating as serfs when we are supposed to joint and equal stakeholders in project Nigeria.”
The Northern leaders wondered about the quality of humanity of any group meeting at this period of mournings “not to have a word of compassion for those that were recklessly murdered by state forces and hired thugs during the protests.”
The communique wqs signed by Chief Ek Clark(PANDEF Leader), Senator Bassey Hensa, Chief Ayo Adebanjo(for Afenifere Leader), Yinka Odumakin, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, Chief Supo Sonibare and Senator Femi Okurounmu
The leaders rejected what it called the indecent approach to paste the peaceful protesters in dark colors.
“They made their demands clear and were orderly before the violent Nigerian state deployed armed soilders and thugs in 911 lorries against them. It is wickedness to place “our power” above every other national interest by playing the “regime change” label on the peaceful protesters who were not armed like Boko Haram that the regime is chasing about with negotiations in the same spirit it has been cuddling and pampering killer herdsmen.”
The leaders said they do not see the thougtfulness in the celebration of Northern youth not participating in ENDSARS protests as if they did not also loot like their deprived young people in other areas of the country which shows they are suffering the same thing adding that instead of treating leprosy our counterparts are dealing with eczema.”
SMBL said they foresaw all that is happening now, which is why they have been calling for restructuring as a multi – ethic country like Nigeria can only be run along federal lines.
“We were not oblivious of the damage the military did to this country by using fiat to create LGAs with headquarters in the villages of top shots mostly from the North. Kano state today has 44 Local Governments and Bayelsa has 8. When you want to recruit 10 policemen per LGA Bayelsa will have 80 and Kano 44.That affects where the materials to be drawn into SARS and others are drawn.The inequalities multiply everywhere.”
The group said further “this is why we insisisf on restructuring of the country now before we go for any national election. We make it abundantly clear to our colleagues from the core North that yesterday ended last night and NEVER AGAIN shall this country be run the same old way. NO section of the country can play any supremacist role again as if the rest of us are fools. It is either we live together as equals under the same rules of engagement or we explore other options as dignified human beings.”
SMBL deeply said it mourned with all families who lost dear ones in the crisis we just went through and pray to God to comfort them.