Story Written By Daniel Karlmax and Edited by Godwin Duru
Coalition of Indigenous Middle Belt Organizations, CIMBO says it will be hosting a National Delegates Conference in Kaduna, to discuss and consolidate on its demands on restructuring the country before 2027.
Chairman of the Organization Mr. Timothy B. Gandu, in a statement ahead of the conference, explains that the meeting is targeting over one hundred delegates and representatives of over four hundred indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt themed “Restructuring and Enactment of the Peoples Constitution, Panacea to Peace and Growth of the Nation”.
According to the statement, the birth of CIMBO in 2023 followed the mandate of the various organizations within the region to meet as a bloc, and come up with their positions on the restructuring of Nigeria.
It recalls that the 2014 National Conference Report recommended the creation of more states, and eight geopolitical zones in Nigeria, including the Middle Belt considering its land size and population.
The Chairman of the group laments that, Nigeria has an imposed Constitution on its populace, that has not given recognition to minorities in consonance with the United Nation declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities.
Mr. Gandu posits that the non- actualization of the 2014 Confab Report is detrimental to the people of the Middle Belt, and has necessitated the call for all Middle Belt Indigenous Ethnic Organizations, to meet and reinforce their stand as a bloc in Nigeria.
He identified principal issues to be discussed at the conference to include maintaining identity, control of ethnic lands, heritage and resources, as well as independence from internal oppression.
Others, according to him are the need to be part of the Nigerian Federation with equal treatment and benefit like others, that would enable them support and reinforce all positive actions of Middle Belt Organizations, like the Middle Belt Forum, MBF among others.
The group, as part of effort to achieve its mandate is poised to meet with other indigenous ethnic Nationalities in the country, to put forward its demand for restructuring, which would give room for equal participation and partnership to achieve progress in the the Nigerian project.
Daniel Karlmax
