Middle Belt Forum urges FG to implement 2014 National Confab Report

The leaders of the Middle Belt Forum have called on the federal government to immediately implement the report of the 2014 National Conference.

The forum after a meeting of its leaders and the inauguration of a new Executive members in Abuja also urged the government to put an immediate end to the incessant killing of people from the area and the destruction of their farmlands.

According to a communique signed by the new President of the forum Dr. Bala Takaya and Dr. Ben Dikki, the General Secretary, the forum ‎said the government should make changes in the nation’s security architecture.

According to them, the current security structure has created a feeling of alienation by peoples of the middle belt as these security agencies have failed, refused or neglected to respond to distress calls of middle belt communities when under attack by Fulani herdsmen.

“Government should immediately commence the restructuring of the nation by implementing the report of the 2014 Conference. The implementation of the 2014 National Conference will address some of the serious concerns of the peoples of the Middle Belt who feel that they have been unjustly treated in the Nigerian project.

“Conference calls on all states of the middle belt to prohibit by law open grazing and abolish grazing reserves while replacing pastoralism with ranching.

“Conference calls government at all levels to maintain in practice the policy of Nigeria as a secular state and non-establishment of state religion as well as guaranteeing religious freedom and the right to change one’s religion.

“Government at all levels should provide clear demarcation between citizens, residents and Indigenes and clearly delineate their rights and privileges. In addition state governments should forthwith resuscitate and recognise the Independence of all Middle Belt traditional institutions.

“Adopt measures to protect citizens from gender-based discrimination and abuse, as well as the use of cultural practices to subjugate women to deny them full participation in the affairs of community and state. In particular, government and the security agencies must bring to book individuals accused of the kidnapping, forceful conversion and marriage of Christian girls in the Middle Belt, be there traditional rulers or other individuals”, the forum said in its communique.

The communique said the forum was extremely unhappy that the responses by security agencies to the cry of communities under attacks have always been largely ignored as recently voiced out by His Excellency, Arc. Darius Ishaku, Governor of Taraba State and His Majesty, the Hamman Bachama and many others.

It also strongly rejected the “Foreign Fulani Herdsmen” explanation given by leaders in order to evade blame about the non-challance of Hausa-Fulani leaders for not bringing the mass killers to book and beggars the question: why these herdsmen attack only non-Hausa/Fulani and community?

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja