Northern minority ethnic nationalities under the auspices of Coalition of Indigenous Middle Belt Organizations (CIMBO) have risen from a two-day maiden conference in Kaduna, calling for restructuring of Nigeria into three regions, namely, South, Middle-Belt and North.

The ethnic nationalities also demanded that the current 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be rewritten, saying that, restructuring and enactment of a new ‘people’s constitution’ is the panacea to peace and development of Nigeria.

A communique issued at the end of the two-day conference suggested that the 2014 National Conference Report should be the basis for the restructuring of the country.

In a paper presented at the conference by Professor Ejeikwu Emmanuel Oloja titled; “The position of the Middle Belt on Restructuring, Boundary Adjustments and Constitutional Review, called for restructuring of Nigeria into South, Middle-Belt and Northern regions.

His words: “Restructured Nigeria, with a number of units, will lead to true federalism, reduced corruption and over-reliance on statutory allocation from the centre and this will intensify struggle for resource control.

“So, in consideration of the foregoing, CIMBO should recommend three regions for Nigeria. Northern Region (north west & north east), Middle Belt Region (Eastern Middle Belt Region and Western Middle Belt) and Southern Region (South South, South East & South West),” he said.

However, the conference communique jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Timothy Barau Gandu and Prof. Emmanuel O Ejeikwu, argued that the call for restructuring of Nigeria is more pressing now than ever, primarily due to the significant growth and diversity of the ethnic composition of the Middle Belt, whose population is estimated at 44 million as at June 2024.

According to the communique, “the Middle Belt has since independence been seen and called part of Northern Nigeria with the split of many ethnic nationalities into states, as minorities. This has weakened the ability of such ethnic nationalities in achieving political representation and economic empowerment and development.

“Consequently, this has created inferiority complex, a feeling of second-class status and peasantization of the people as a result of laws and statues that tend to limit and imprison the capacity of citizens of such ethnic nationalities from achieving set goals and aspirations.”

It said that, “The maiden conference of the Coalition of Indigenous Middle Belt Organizations (CIMBO) was held in Kaduna from 30th-31st August, 2024 and was attended by delegates representing over 400 indigenous ethnic nationalities.

“Participants at the conference were drawn from Bauchi, Benue, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and Taraba States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Middle Belf Forum (MBF) was officially represented at the conference indicating a tacit support to the CIMBO.

“The two-day conference has as the theme, “Restructuring and Enactment of the People’s Constitution, Panacea to Peace and Good Growth of the Nation”. The purpose of the conference was to discuss the unity and self-determination of the Middle Belt organizations and the need for the restructuring of Nigeria through constitutional reforms and the actualization of the 2014 National Conference report.

“Two key papers were presented at the maiden CIMBO conference by erudite scholars. The first paper was on “The position of the Middle Belt on Restructuring and Constitutional Amendment” and the second was on “The Middle Belt People’s Struggles for Liberation and Restructuring: The Journey so Far.”

“The papers provided a historical account of states formation and the people’s struggles over time and also highlighted the demands for control of our ethnic land and resources and the abrogation of laws and statutes that promote inequality and suppression of our people.

“The conference discussed the strategies for actualizing the 2014 National Conference report, the status of CIMBO vis-à-vis other organizations and how it can be sustained. The conference also interrogated the modus operandi of CIMBO going forward.” (Sunday Sun: Text, Excluding Headline)

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