Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh, a political activist, is the National Leader, All Middle Belt Youth Forum (AMBYF). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on developments in the Middle Belt as the nation gets ready for the 2023 general elections. Excerpt:

Several states have been submerged by flood, leading to deaths, destruction of properties and threat of diseases. How do you see the ways the federal and state governments are handling this situation?

The unfortunate thing about our leaders in Nigeria is that they keep doing the same thing expecting different results. The Nigerian government at all level, federal, state and local government Area, have no value for the lives of the citizenry. Unfortunately, when it is time for electioneering, the citizens will not look deep to assess the candidates seeking for their votes, if they are worthy of their votes. This Cameroonian dam called Lagdo Dam that causes this menace in Nigeria today, before it was built in 1977, an agreement was reached between Cameroonian and Nigerian governments to build a dam called Dasin Hausa that is twice the size of that of Cameroon, that will prevent the flood from ravaging Nigeria. But, it was abandoned since 1981 till date. So, you can see that it is government’s irresponsibility that put us into this problem. In 2013, after the 2012 flooding orchestrated by this same Lagdo Dam, the Nigerian government entered into another agreement with the Cameroonian government. It was agreed that the Nigerian government should be informed before the excess water can be released from the dam. This I see as irresponsibility on the side of our government. Instead of completing the dam abandoned since 1981, they are busy looking for shallow grave solutions. If not, how do you think you can dictate to a sovereign state on what to do?

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party has set aside some of his campaign days to empathise with the flood victims and has indeed visited them in some IDP camps. How do you see his example and his call on other candidates to join him to find succor for the victims?

What Obi did by visiting the flood victims and suspending his campaign flag off is what a good leader who has the interest of his people at heart will do. I don’t think his action is political. But, it is his true nature as a man who loves seeing smiles on the faces of fellow human beings. In 2010, this same Peter Obi went to Haiti to offer helping hands to flood victims. So, his action is not political at all. His call on other presidential candidates to emulate his kindness is good. If they could purchase nomination forms at N100,000,000 and a little below N45,000,000, why can’t they come to the aid of the flood victims? However, Nigerians know who should be voted for come 2023.

Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) has once more asked the people of the Middle Belt to arm themselves and defend themselves and their land from invaders. How do you see his latest call?

Our baba, Gen. TY Danjuma’s call for self-defence is the best thing that has happened to Middle Belt people and Nigerians at large, which deserves applause from all sane human beings. Recently Chief Malcolm Omirhobo was in court praying for permission to carry AK-47 and RPMG which, if granted, will be a welcome development since the government cannot protect us. Is it not better we protect ourselves than watch ourselves been killed like rats? If a former governor, while in office, could call on his party supporters to marshal out plans against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that he perceived would rig his party out during elections in 2015, and such an inciting statement did not attract condemnation from anybody, it is right we commend Baba TY Danjuma for his consistency and boldness to speak out against our killers. Peoples should find ways to get sophisticated weapons to defend themselves. As it is today, nowhere is safe in Nigeria, not even the villages and hamlets. The Federal Government seems to be unperturbed which is a confirmation of Gen. TY Danjuma’s statement.

The Middle Belt youths are said to have adopted and endorsed Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate. What informed such action?

In almost all the regions in Nigeria, their youths are known for one vice or the other. But, we, the Middle Belt youths chose to maintain a high degree of responsibility. It is not because we are idiots. But, we do not want our region to suffer self-afflicted injuries since no one cares about infrastructural development in our region. Even if they do, we must protect it and not to destroy. Our burning desire is for a Nigeria that works for all. We discovered that it is only Peter Obi that can birth that New Nigeria. Our country is not working because it was designed not to work. This constitutes high percentage of the mess we find ourselves today. The time to destroy the seed of discord called tripodal Nigeria, in a country with over 300 ethnic nationalities, is now, to birth a new nation that we can all be proud of. We went for Peter Obi based on his track record as former governor of Anambra State in opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). He performed creditably well. He stopped government wastages, which drastically cut down the cost of governance. He is the best man available from the South East. Injustice begets insecurity. So, to solve this intractable security problem, we must elect the next Nigerian president with justice, equity and fairness in focus. In the history of Nigerian politics, never was it heard a regional block came out openly to declare their unflinching support for any presidential candidate. But, on September 28, 2022, we, the Middle Belters converged in the Tin City of Jos to tell the world that our choice of a Nigerian president in 2023 is Mr. Peter Obi, a decision fully supported by our fathers, elders and leaders who respect us, since they know they have responsible youths that made them proud. That is the reason our ebullient president, HE. Dr. Pogu Bitrus, was at the event, and he spoke our mind. You heard Gen. Monday Morgan (rtd), former Chief of Defence Intelligence on Channels Television some time ago speaking against the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC and also Gen. John Enenche (rtd), former Chief of Defence Information, in a video trending online, as he endorsed the candidacy of Peter Obi. These are assurances of our block votes. Unfortunately, some persons who allowed emotion to take over them, criticised Obi for the appointment of Gen. John Enenche as a member of his Campaign Council. I will advise them to restrain from such because during the ENDSARS, he was not a free citizen as he is today, and not many people of his calibre will be bold to speak up when their voice is needed most. Besides, the Middle Belt was worse hit as we lost some of our promising police officers and youths. Or, do we condemn Obi for visiting Sheik Abubakar Gumi in Kaduna recently? No! Since he is not going to be a sectional president, everybody is needed. Hence, Gen. John Enenche’s name must not miss the Obi Presidential Campaign Council. In politics, the word ‘Go’ is dead. Only ‘Come’ is the language we hear and work for. The Obidient Movement is led by a Middle Belter, Prof. Owojecho Omoha, the inventor of Capture Theory. All these are indications of a people who spoke in one voice and matching it with action as efforts are on at the various polling units to ensure that Obi gets our block votes. Obi should urgently reciprocate the same gesture. No matter his tight schedule, he should call the Middle Belt Youths for an interactive session and tell us what he has for us, if he is elected Nigerian President in 2023 so we can have a message for our voters who are asking questions too.

Don’t you think that it would have paid the Middle Belt better to support any of the ruling parties, APC or PDP, to win the position to be able to attract more dividends of democracy to the zone?

The Middle Belt Is not looking for any dividend of democracy when the country is in complete disarray, as we are concerned about who will take us out of this conundrum. We have tested both the APC and PDP and discovered that they have nothing good for the Middle Belt people. If PDP could go to the level of dumping her constitution on zoning, should the same PDP be trusted with power again? PDP does not encourage or rewards zones or regions considered to be her strong base, but punishes them for being loyal to the party, because in 2015, they looked the other way in Benue State on zoning without consideration for Zone C. We are witnessing a repeat of the same in 2022, which has plunged the party into its current mess. Our position is clear on the power shift to the South on the ground of justice, equity and fairness. But, the PDP said ‘No’. Since we cannot approbate and reprobate, we decided to think out of the box. The Middle Belt is worst hit with unabated blood bath under APC-led Federal Government, as most of our communities are being renamed and occupied by the killer Fulani herdsmen and the blatant refusal by APC to consider a Middle Belter for the vice presidential candidate, is an action you need no prophet to tell us that they are against us. So, both the APC and PDP have nothing good for us, hence our decision to go for the Labour Party that offered us the vice presidential candidate slot. But, we could not produce it because of religious imbalance as our Muslims in both APC and PDP are not ready to switch over to the Labour Party. In order to avert the danger of the same faith ticket that will jeopardise Peter Obi’s victory, we decided to sacrifice the vice presidential slot for Sen. Dr. Baba Datti Ahmed to emerge. After all, we are not at war with the North. From 1999 till date, only the Middle Belt and East are yet to have their own shot of the Nigerian President. So, giving it to the East now means that at the end of Obi’s tenure in office, it will be the turn of the Middle Belt. (Sunday Independent

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