Recently, the Governors of Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa have been involved in a media battle over statement and counter statement over activity of the terror group that have been unleashing mayhem in the middle Belt Region for a long period of time, the reality is, each of the states have suffered one form of attack or the other from this same terror group. For a fact, these state needs the support of one another to win the war against this terror, Benue plateau and Nassarawa shared many things in common in fact, it used to be one state.  What then is the implication of this Theatre of speech and counter responds?

If the middle belt had a political class who then is the teacher? Mind you, yes you reading, drop your PDP or your APC before you continue reading. I remember it was the great Franz Fanon that once said  “out of the relative obscurity of  a time, the people must choose their Destiny which will make or mar them”  the hard reality that accompanied the spirit of the letters as contained in the wisdom of franz fanon when compared through the prism of Benue, plateau and Nassarawa State.  states  many refer to as the major nucleus of the middle belt region. The situation is a disaster to say the least but the people are still trying to select one in the franzfonian thoughts above, so, it’s not too late…

Factually, It is pointed out by many school of thought that, “colonialism and colony are usually associated with the “Land and people” subjected to a “violent form of power”; within theoretical background of the “land and the people” in the context of the reality of Fulani “Herdsmen or Unknown Killers “what becomes the fate of the people attacked? Land for grazing or a force command for political loyalty? How much is the revenue base in of the Nigerian herdsman that warrants federal government colony or Ranch? What is the return in investment?

The question that begs for answers can be relative to the understanding of the elite’s political class like the governors of the three states started above, again to the families who are attacked and their fellow brothers, the religious leaders and their followers it means different thing and to a community in fear of a super power domination or the community whose land is in contention, or the politician either opposition or those on the throne. Hence there is no agreement to the point of view to which we all see the situation I mean you are right in your perspective view, but where is the side of truth and justice?

Historically, the attack is not an accident.  As of  1804 the indigenous Islamic colonial system from Sokoto made Socio- Economic and political thrust of conquest towards areas under attack today I.e. Benue, plateau, Taraba, Adamawa and Southern Kaduna. . This act brought about a new set of value system in conflict between people in those location, which further changed the cause of history in these zone.

The re-arrangement of the North and Nigeria from four to a twelve unit structure of the Nigerian federation by 1967 indeed liberated the middle belt from the domination of the Hausa-Fulani. The credit goes to a son of the same region under attack today, to many the initiative by Yakubu Gowon is novel, the initiative was meant to liberate and serve as foundation of economic and political independence of these minorities but to answer the question whether the dream was achieved or not? Your guess is as good as mind.

The reality today is double steps back into the history. Who is interested in these zone under attack? What do the attackers really want? Land for just grazing or land to be called indigenes? Why is the middle belt so divided against itself? Am certain that a   united middle Belt is the panacea for political change in Nigeria.  so the killing is strategic; kill the majorities within the minorities: the middle belt has about 150 tribal groups, the most dominant being TIV, Benue State (4.6% of the population of the North in 1952) the Igala( 1.7%) and the Berom of plateau state (0.7%) the middle belt areas  comprised of 26.3% of the population of the North  in 1952, 35.9% of land area and 13.5 % of Nigerian population. Logic – reduce the population of Benue, plateau and Taraba, and you can stop any major socio-political change in this country. The conspiracy is beyond a poor Fulani man, it is politically driven by the powers that decide the powers that be in this country for a long time.

While the middle belt masses hopes for a savior that will take the people to nirvana, the political class in the region shall continue to look up to their political teachers, the region and its people should never forget that it is under internal colonialism, Hence, “to remember is to resist” the solidarity of the masses is a sure way towards independence: for now, let the masses demand Quality Education, and build independent Enterprise with a dynamic machinery for community police because the struggle is yet to start, it is not about Benue alone or Plateau or even Nasarawa it is about a divided house that cant stand alone, the middle belt must rise to the challenge, come together as a force, and champion a new history. Is either a united middle belt or history.

In conclusion we must remember the many index that unites us together, the middle belt must resist any form of imposition of ideas that will divide the region and above all the Governors of the three states should build synergy to combat this terror collectively or nobody wins. To my mind,   What stands in the way of a fall to a deep pit is a five letter word THINK!.

count | 247

The Middle Belt Region:  A House against Itself, Realities of Internal Colonialism in Modern Nigeria.By Dakwom .M. Longgul