A group under the aegis of Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations (CONAECDA) has appealled to the Federal Government to establish National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples.

CONAECDA said the commission shall have the power to enforce the individual and collective rights of ethnic, religious and cultural minorities in Nigeria, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

A group under the aegis of Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations (CONAECDA) has appealled to the Federal Government to establish National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples.

CONAECDA said the commission shall have the power to enforce the individual and collective rights of ethnic, religious and cultural minorities in Nigeria, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.

In a communique issued at the end of the two day conference held in Jos, jointly signed by Zuwaohu Bonat, Conference Coordinator and Suleiman Sukukum, Secretary made available to ViewPointNigeria, said all Community Development Associations and Socio-cultural organizations of Autochthonous Ethnic Minority Nationalities shall establish Community Marshals, which shall serve as Neighbourhood Watches in the various communities, to promote peace and security within and among all our communities.

It added, it is a commonplace knowledge that lands of the autochthons is our most valuable resource and is directly linked to their identity; any attempt therefore to forcefully acquire the lands of the autochthonous communities will be vehemently resisted by the people and the Communities.

They argued that autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities should begin to identify themselves by their native names, and to use traditional titles that have meaning within the cultural heritage of our peoples, instead of adopting titles from the cultures of other languages.

The Conference had in attendance Presidents and Secretaries of Community Development Associations of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities from 15 Minority Autochthonous states of Northern Nigeria (the Middle Belt) including: Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, and Yobe.

The communique also lamented the situation whereby some of the languages of the minority nationalities are dying out, or are in danger of disappearing, and ascribes that to two forces; “pressures from the wider Nigerian society, where minority languages have not been used as media of instruction in the pre-primary and primary schools in the northern part of Nigeria, contrary to the letter and spirit of the National policy on Education”.

It further identify the attitude of parents in not ensuring that their mother tongues are used in the homes, and the assimilating cultures of majority languages and the dominance of the English and Hausa languages in the Church, commerce and government as regrettably.

The Conference also recognized the efforts of various organizations and institutions working to preserve and advance many minority languages while observing that from the village community to the federal level, participatory governance has not taken root in the northern States, including the autochthonous minority nationalities of the Middle Belt.

The communique further called on Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists in the Middle Belt to accommodate one another as brothers and sisters and live in peace as people of the same blood and one destiny.

count | 20

Middlebelt Group Appeals to FG to Establish Commission for Protection of Rights of Minorities