The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Kaduna State Chapter, received with deep shock and profound sadness the news of the passing of His Excellency, Senator Solomon Ewuga, former Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Middle Belt Forum, who departed this life on Tuesday, September 22, 2025, in Abuja.
Senator Ewuga was a statesman of uncommon courage and conviction. He embodied the true spirit of the Middle Belt struggle — a life of sacrifice, service, and unwavering commitment to justice, equity, and national unity. His wisdom, integrity, and vision left an indelible mark not only on the Middle Belt but also on the nation at large.
We in the Kaduna State Chapter deeply mourn his departure. His leadership, guidance, and dedication to the Middle Belt cause will forever remain a source of inspiration. Though he has passed on, his legacy will continue to strengthen our resolve in the pursuit of fairness, justice, and inclusive development.
On behalf of our members, we extend heartfelt condolences to his beloved family, the Eggon Nation, the government and people of Nasarawa State, and indeed the entire Middle Belt and Nigeria. May the Almighty grant his soul eternal rest and give strength to all who mourn this great loss.
The attention of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Kaduna State Chapter, has been drawn to the recent incendiary, false, and deliberately misleading comments made by the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, during his appearance on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” a major part that has to do with Southern Kaduna, which is part of the Middle Belt absorbed into the North West geopolitical zone. For the avoidance of doubt, the Middle Belt of Nigeria is made up of all the ethnic nationalities of the 19 Northern States plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that are not Hausa, Fulani and Kanuri.
The MBF, Kaduna state Chapter, therefore, considers it a solemn duty to the world and to posterity to set the record straight and counter this orchestrated campaign of shocking falsehood and demographic gaslighting from El-Rufai targeted at the good people of Southern Kaduna and the Middle Belt region at large.
El-Rufai’s interview was a desperate deception; a pathetic attempt to rewrite reality and diminish the undeniable political and demographic facts of Southern Kaduna on the weight and relevance of Christians majority area in the political culture of Kaduna State. Contrary to El-Rufai’s fictitious claim that Christians constitute “not even 25%” of Kaduna State, verified data from independent and governmental sources presents a starkly different reality. “Southern Kaduna” is a socio-cultural, historical connected ethnic nationalities of Kaduna State that are not Hausa and Fulani and geographically contiguous with Christianity as its dominant religion. Southern Kaduna forms 12 Local Government Areas with the 8 LGAs of ‘zone 3’ or Kaduna South Senatorial Zone forming its core. But Southern Kaduna, based on its definition, includes Chikun, Kajuru, Kaduna South, and Lere. It spans approximately 26,000 sq km and is home to a projected population of 5.1 million people, constituting almost half of the state’s population of today.
Kaduna State is not Christian-minority bloc but also a hub of education, intellectualism, and civil service excellence, producing legendary Nigerian pioneers like Dr. Barau Dikko and Prof. Ishaya Audu who were all Christians.
El-Rufai’s attempt to politically diminish Southern Kaduna is the height of lies. He must be reminded that touching Southern Kaduna is as good as touching the Middle Belt, and no distortion or falsehood can erase this fact. The 2023 gubernatorial election, which his protégé, Sen Uba Sani of the APC, won by a razor-thin margin of 10,806 votes, was decisively determined by the votes from Southern Kaduna, which boasts 43.7% of the state’s registered voters. It is the height of ingratitude for a man who benefitted from a similar coalition in 2015 to now turn around and label the same people as “insignificant” because they roundly rejected his toxic politics of division.
His comparison of the peaceful, democratic Christian communities of Southern Kaduna to the proscribed Shiite movement is not only reckless but deeply bigoted, designed solely to incite hatred and justify the systemic marginalization and violence these communities have endured under his watch and beyond.
We are not surprised by El-Rufai’s vitriol. It is the bitter cry of a man facing a well-deserved political shame, which is the direct price for the wickedness he meted out on the people of Southern Kaduna. His administration was marked by the deliberate balkanization of our traditional institutions, the unjust redrawing of electoral wards to disenfranchise our people, the abandonment of critical projects, and a shocking disregard for the security of lives and property.
He has forgotten that he was the first governor to admit on national television that he paid bandits. Beyond that, credible reports — including from respected security chiefs — confirmed that his administration directly negotiated and disbursed huge sums running into billions of naira to these criminal elements. In effect, he governed more like a bandits’ patron than a protector of the people. He has forgotten he was caught on video stating that the Muslim-Muslim ticket was deliberately chosen to “enthron Islam.” Now, he contradictorily claims it was merely to win an election. This is the height of dishonesty. He is not the only graduate in Kaduna; we are all educated enough to see through his duplicity.
Today, El-Rufai is an excess baggage to any political platform, a burden to any party that associates with him. His political relevance has expired, and Kaduna State has long moved beyond his toxic brand of politics.
We admonish Mallam Nasir El-Rufai to desist from spreading falsehood and poisoning the well of unity in our dear state. At his age, he should be seeking peace and making amends in preparation to meet his maker, not actively working to plunge future generations into conflict.
Though his days in the political limelight are numbered, he is tragically determined to leave the political space as its most disgraced, humiliated, and unfulfilled figure. We urge well-meaning Nigerians and the media to disregard his malicious fabrications.
The Middle Belt Forum, Kaduna State, remains committed to advocating for equity, transparent governance, and the unity of all peoples of Kaduna State based on truth and justice, not the pathological lies of a failed politician.
Signed: Air Commodore John Bako Ajeye (Rtd) Chairman, Middle Belt Forum (MBF) Kaduna State Chapter
(Makurdi), The Middle Belt Forum has thrown down the gauntlet in what promises to be one of the most heated constitutional debates of 2025, declaring unequivocal opposition to a clause in the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria Bill that would make the Sultan of Sokoto a permanent co-chairman of the proposed national body.
In a strongly-worded statement released Sunday, the forum’s National Spokesman, Luka Binniyat, described the provision as a “grievous insult” to ancient Middle Belt kingdoms and warned of mass boycotts if the legislation passes in its current form.
The controversy centers on the National Council for Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024, sponsored by Senator Simon Bako Lalong of Plateau South. Having sailed through its second reading in March, the bill now sits before the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service, where its fate—and potentially the unity of Nigeria’s traditional institution—hangs in the balance.
Ancient Kingdoms Challenge Modern Politics
At the heart of the Middle Belt Forum’s objection lies a compelling historical argument that challenges conventional assumptions about traditional hierarchy in Nigeria. The forum contends that several Middle Belt monarchies predate the Sokoto Caliphate by centuries, making the proposed permanent arrangement historically unjustifiable.
“The Kwararafa Confederacy flourished from the 800s to the 1700s A.D.,” Binniyat noted, pointing to the Aku Uka of Wukari as the spiritual heir to a legacy that existed long before the Sokoto Caliphate’s establishment in 1804. Similarly, the forum highlighted the Attah of Igala, whose kingdom thrived before and after the 14th century, and the Etsu Nupe, representing a 15th-century kingdom that maintained its cultural identity despite later Islamic influence.
Perhaps most significantly, the forum emphasized that the Tiv Nation—one of Nigeria’s largest ethnolinguistic groups—was never conquered by the Sokoto Caliphate. The Tor Tiv, they argue, represents a proud, independent people whose acephalous society thrived without external domination.
Religious Leadership Versus Traditional Authority
The Middle Belt Forum’s opposition extends beyond historical precedence to fundamental questions about the nature of leadership in a pluralistic democracy. They argue that the Sultan’s primary role as the spiritual head of Nigerian Muslims makes his permanent secular leadership problematic in a constitutionally secular state.
“His institutionalized leadership over a national council of traditional rulers would alienate Christians, traditional worshippers, and other faiths,” the statement declared, warning that such an arrangement would “promote religious supremacy under the guise of traditional unity.”
This concern gains additional weight from the forum’s pointed reference to the Sultan’s patronage of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN), an organization they link to violent conflicts that have claimed thousands of lives across the Middle Belt. The forum argues that making someone with such associations a permanent leader would be insensitive to victims of these conflicts.
Colonial Legacy and Modern Resistance
The statement reveals deep-seated resentment about colonial-era impositions that artificially elevated certain traditional authorities over others. The forum argues that British indirect rule forcefully placed autonomous Middle Belt communities under Emirate control, creating “an artificial hierarchy that granted undue privilege and influence to Fulani-dominated Emirates.”
“More than six decades after the end of colonial rule, it is unacceptable for any traditional authority to be elevated above others, particularly in a democratic Nigeria that champions equality, justice, and federal character,” Binniyat emphasized.
This historical grievance underscores why the current proposal strikes such a sensitive nerve. For many in the Middle Belt, permanent co-chairmanship arrangements evoke memories of colonial subjugation that independent Nigeria was supposed to remedy.
High-Stakes Threats and Alternative Proposals
The Middle Belt Forum has not limited itself to criticism—it has issued concrete threats that could fragment Nigeria’s traditional institution. Should the bill pass with the contentious clause intact, the forum promises to mobilize all Middle Belt ethnic nationalities to boycott the council entirely.
More dramatically, they threaten to establish an autonomous Council of Middle Belt Traditional Rulers, effectively creating a parallel institution that could undermine the national body’s legitimacy and effectiveness.
However, the forum also offered constructive alternatives, proposing that the chairmanship be rotational across geopolitical zones or ethnic blocs, with tenure-based arrangements ensuring all traditional rulers feel included. They suggest allowing traditional rulers themselves to democratically choose their leadership through transparent, inclusive processes.
National Unity at a Crossroads
As this debate unfolds, it highlights deeper tensions about identity, representation, and historical justice in modern Nigeria. The Middle Belt Forum’s position reflects broader anxieties about religious and ethnic dominance in a diverse nation still grappling with colonial legacies.
Senator Lalong, ironically described by the forum as “a respected son of the Middle Belt,” now finds himself at the center of a controversy that could define his legislative legacy. As the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service deliberates, they face a choice between maintaining the bill’s current structure and risking institutional fragmentation, or finding compromise solutions that address historical grievances while preserving national unity.
The stakes could hardly be higher. Traditional rulers have long served as bridges between Nigeria’s diverse communities and the federal government. Any arrangement that alienates significant segments of this institution could have far-reaching consequences for national cohesion.
As one traditional ruler privately noted, “This is not just about who sits where in meetings. It’s about whether Nigeria can create institutions that truly reflect our diversity and shared humanity.”
The coming weeks will reveal whether Nigeria’s lawmakers can navigate these treacherous waters or whether the ancient kingdoms of the Middle Belt will chart their own separate course in the nation’s traditional landscape.
[spacing size=””]A coalition of 22 civil society organizations, under the banner of the Civic Coalition Against Mass Atrocities in the Middle Belt, has issued a scathing press release, sounding the alarm on a spiraling security crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. The group is urgently calling for federal intervention to halt what they describe as a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing that threatens not only lives but the very fabric of democracy in the country.
The Middle Belt, encompassing states like Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Southern Kaduna, Borno, Gombe, and Adamawa, has long been a hotspot for violence. However, the coalition’s report paints a grim picture of escalating atrocities: targeted attacks, massacres, and abductions that have claimed countless lives, left survivors traumatized, and displaced entire communities. The perpetrators, according to the coalition, are not only emptying villages but replacing locals with imported settlers, fundamentally altering the region’s demographic and political landscape.
The coalition identifies three key triggers fueling the current wave of violence. First, the upcoming national census, which they allege is being exploited by terrorist groups to seize territory—ensuring that displaced locals are not counted, thus handing control to the occupiers. Second, the 2027 elections, where the violence could disenfranchise Middle Belt voters, reshaping electoral outcomes. Third, the recent establishment of the Livestock Ministry, which some interpret as a green light for pastoralists to take over land, further inflaming tensions. Adding to the fear, new terrorist fronts led by groups like Lakurawa and Mahmuda have emerged in Niger and Kwara states, raising concerns of a broader regional conflict.
The coalition’s analysis reveals a chilling pattern. The affected states are landlocked, lacking direct access to international borders, making escape or external aid difficult. Over 20,000 square kilometers across Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States have been forcibly seized, with the displaced replaced by new settlers. This methodical displacement, the coalition argues, is a deliberate attempt to erase indigenous communities and redraw electoral maps—a campaign they label as ethnic cleansing with devastating implications for Nigeria’s food security, as the Middle Belt is a traditional breadbasket for the country.
“This is not just a security crisis; it’s an attack on the future of elective government in Nigeria,” the coalition stated, emphasizing the need for immediate action. They are urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy federal resources to address the region-wide violence, which no single state can tackle alone. Their 12-point action plan calls for coordinated strategies, including a regional security framework led by Middle Belt governors, consultation with border state leaders, and the return of displaced communities to their lands with full executive backing.
The coalition also proposes modern solutions, such as integrating geospatial technology and drones to enhance security operations, alongside an intelligence framework that leverages local knowledge to prevent attacks. They advocate for inter-community security cooperation to bridge ethnic and religious divides and reforms to the Fire Arms Act of 2004, allowing threatened communities to legally defend themselves under supervision—a response to the overwhelming firepower of attackers.
Beyond security, the coalition addresses cultural and political injustices. They demand the restoration of illegally deposed chiefs and scrapped chiefdoms, particularly in Kaduna, where the previous administration under Governor Nasir El-Rufai allegedly dismantled traditional structures like the Adara chiefdom. Citing Article 8(2) of the Rome Statute, they classify the destruction of cultural heritage as a war crime, calling for its reversal.
Judicial accountability is another priority, with the coalition urging swift trials for perpetrators to deter further violence. They also propose a Special Crisis Accountability Bureau (SCAB) to ensure justice, involving top security officials under the Chief of Defence Staff and National Security Adviser. Additionally, they stress the need to protect food security and guarantee voting rights for displaced communities, pressing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure no one is disenfranchised.
The press release, signed by organizations like the House of Justice, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, The Para-Mallan Peace Foundation, the Southern Kaduna Resilience Fund, to mention but a few underscores their readiness to collaborate with authorities. They aim to provide evidence and support sustainable solutions to what they describe as a political crisis with profound humanitarian consequences.
As Nigeria grapples with this escalating crisis, the coalition’s plea is clear: President Tinubu must act decisively to secure the Middle Belt, protect its people, and preserve the nation’s democratic integrity. The stakes, they warn, could not be higher.
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) Tuesday issued a statement saying it is deeply devastated by the passing of Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, a revered nationalist, elder statesman, and leader of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF). The Statement added that the demise of Chief Clark marks the end of an era for Nigeria’s struggle for equity, justice, and true federalism.
According to a Statement, the President of MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, expressed profound sorrow, emphasizing Chief Clark’s unwavering commitment to the progress and well-being of the Middle Belt.
“Chief Edwin Clark was deeply invested in the welfare of the Middle Belt region. He stood by us in our most challenging times and made several interventions to champion our cause,” Dr. Pogu stated.
“He dedicated his entire life to serving Nigeria, advocating tirelessly for justice, peace, and the protection of marginalized ethnic groups that have historically faced domination and suppression within the Nigerian state. His commitment to fairness and national unity was unparalleled,” he added.
Pogu went on to say that the Middle Belt mourns the loss of an irreplaceable leader, who served as a pivotal rallying point for those advocating for an inclusive Nigeria.
“His voice resonated beyond the South-South region, as he fought alongside other regional leaders to uphold the rights of all Nigerians, particularly those in the Middle Belt and Southern regions,” Pogu went on.
Dr. Pogu noted that Chief Clark’s passing is even more heartbreaking as it comes less than a week after the demise of Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, who served as Deputy Leader of the SMBLF.
“Their near-simultaneous departures leave a great void in the collective struggle for justice and equity in Nigeria.
“The passing of these two distinguished nonagenarians is not only a profound loss to their respective regions but also to the Middle Belt and to the entire nation. Their leadership, wisdom, and relentless pursuit of fairness will be sorely missed,” Pogu said.
“As we mourn this monumental loss, we pray that the Almighty Creator welcomes Pa Edwin Clark with open arms and grants him eternal rest after a lifetime of selfless service to humanity.
“May his legacy continue to inspire the fight for a just and equitable Nigeria,” the statement reads in conclusion.
Signed: Luka Binniyat National Spokesman, Middle Belt Forum (MBF)
Punch Newspaper is one of the top most national dailies which has created enormous integrity for itself over the decades. It has attained this rare fit through its courageous, uncompromising and very professional reportage for which the Middle Belt and especially Southern Kaduna (SK) have greatly benefited from over the years.
The Middle Belt Forum, Kaduna State Branch, is therefore taken aback by Punch’s rather acerbic criticism of news of the approval of the establishment of a Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, Kachia LGA, in Southern Kaduna, which falls under the Middle Belt.
In its Editorial of 7th January, 2025, the Editorial Board of Punch threw a heavy punch at the Government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for assenting to create the first university ever in Southern Kaduna, dismissing it as “political” and a “greek gift.”
Well we have no issues whatsoever with the observations and facts churned out by the Editorial Board of Punch regarding the
poor fundings Federal Universities and other associated matters raised in the Editorial, we feel that had the Editors of Punch been armed with the shocking marginalization that SK has suffered in allocation of federal institutions in Kaduna state, they would.have written its Editorial from a rather sympathetic perspective. They would not have set out in that Editorial to discourage the Federal Government from concluding a development that has stirred so much joy and emotions among the people of SK and indeed all residents members of the Middle Belt in Kaduna State.
We say this for the following reasons:
A Reps Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna state, secured the approval and funds for the establishment and immediate construction of FOUR! (4) new tertiary institutions in Zaria town, including a UNIVERSITY!
B . At the flag off of the construction of one of the schools in Zaria, on the 15th December, 2024, Abbas announced to the media that the sum of N80 billion had been approved for the construction of the schools.
The brand new Federal tertiary institutions for Zaria town alone are
a. Federal College of Nursing and Midwifery
b. Federal College of Education
c. Federal Open University
d. Federal College of Legal Studies.
C) The Editors of the Punch ought to be aware that Zaria town is unarguably the only town in the entire Nigeria that has the highest numbers of federal institutions as listed below:
1) Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) 2) Federal College of Education (FCoE)
3) Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology
4) Nigerian Leather Research Institute 5) Nigeria College of Aviation Technology 6) Division of Agricultural Colleges (DAC)
7)Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR).
8) National Research Institute for Chemical Technology
9)National Animal Production Research Institute
10) National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services.
11) Nigerian Army School of Military Police
12) Nigeria Army School of Legal Services, Basawa Zaria.
That invariably means that there are now 16 Federal tertiary schools in just one town – Zaria which straddles two LGAs North of Kaduna state.
D) For the information of the Editorial Board of Punch, the term “Southern Kaduna (SK)” is a Geo-socio/cultural zone made up of no less than 60 ethnic nationalities. It is not a Geo-political zone like “Kaduna South Senatorial Zone” that is subsumed under SK.
SK is made up of 12 LGAs out of the 23 LGAs of Kaduna state. Kaduna South Senatorial Zone is made up of 8 LGAs.
E ) Kaduna state has an approximate land mass of 46,000 sq.km. Out of this, Southern Kaduna has an estimated 26,000 sq.km. In fact, SK is bigger than Kano State (20,000 sq.km) which has 44 LGAs. Yet SK has no single University.
F ) Going by the National Population Commission (NPC) 2006 Census figures, Kaduna state had a population of 6,113,503 of which 51.2% came from the 12 LGAs of Southern Kaduna. Today, SK is estimated to have a population of about 5.2 million people of the 10.2 million population of Kaduna state in 2024.
G ) It may also interest Punch to note that most of the indigenous skilled and educated workforce of Kaduna state comes from SK.
H ) Will it then not be shocking to the Editors of the Punch that the only Federal Institution of Higher Learning in Southern Kaduna is a decrepit Federal School of Statistics, Manchok, Kaura LGA in Southern Kaduna. The highest certificate issued there is a Higher National Diploma (HND).
Our Query to the Punch Editorial
1) Why didn’t the Editors of Punch write its Editorial condemning the creation of new Federal universities when Zaria town, which is already saturated with 11 Federal Tertiary Schools, got additional Four new ones at a go?
2) As aptly pointed out by the Editors of Punch: “During his tenure (2010-2015), Jonathan established 12 universities. His successor (Buhari) established about 10 tertiary schools. Each arm of the military and the police now have a university.”
Shouldn’t it have bothered the Editors of the Punch that Southern Kaduna, with its landmass and population didn’t get any of these universities at that time? Should we not therefore be happy with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu over this gesture?
3) Again, unlike Speaker Abbas who has secured N80 billion funding for Zaria’s new schools, the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia already has a well-developed physical structure. It was a privately built institution called Nok University, complete faculties, departments, Admin blocks and every basic needed infrastructure in a university. It had in place a school administration and a Board.
Nok University, owned a son of the Middle Belt, was on the verge of taking off after admitting its first batch of students in 2022, when the EFCC closed it down. The EFCC later declared its forfeiture to the Federal Government, claiming it was built from proceeds of corruption. Whatever the reason, we are grateful that there was a structure on ground.
Therefore, the only University in Southern Kaduna, unlike the other new ones, is not costing the Federal Government any much to build. Why then should the Editorial Board of the Punch pick on it?
Our Fears
We are at pains to say that we suspect that the motive behind the Punch Editorial is to discourage the Federal Government from seeing the takeoff of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.
The Middle Belt and indeed, SK has powerful foes that can go to any extent to ensure that we that we are tied to one place.
If not so, is the Editorial Board of the Punch not aware that a university is not merely a place of learning? That a university is an economy and a development hub of its own with accompanied value chains that could dramatically spark unprecedented prosperity to its area of location and environs?
This suspicion can only be lifted by another Editorial given the hindsight that we have provided. And if that is done, we shall be very appreciative.
Signed: Luka Binniyat
(Chairman, Middle Belt Forum, Kaduna State Chapter) 9th December, 2025.
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), Kaduna State Chapter, hereby wishes to express its sincere appreciation to all its members for heeding to its call to shun the August 1st – 10th, 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest in Kaduna State.
The MBF is the umbrella socio-cultural body of all ethnic nationalities north of the Benue and Niger Basins that were never under the Sokoto caliphate and Kanem-Borno rule in pre-colonial Nigeria.
Kaduna State Chapter of the MBF, also hails the effort of Kaduna state Governor, Senator Uba Sani for the manner he managed the chaos, violence and seditious dimension that the protest predictably assumed in the state, as we had earlier warned.
We join other well meaning Nigerians in condemning the well planned anarchy, looting and arson that took place.
We also commiserate with innocent victims of the violent demonstration.
Though we can never be part of that inappropriate way of addressing our grievances, nonetheless, the anger, frustration and hopelessness driven by hunger in Nigeria of today is real. And the government must take note of this seriously and address it urgently.
We are, however, very proud to note and praise the composure and civility of our youths from, Sanga, Lere, Kafanchan to Chikun et al, and all areas dominant by the people of the Middle Belt in other major towns and cities of the state, while other parts of the state boiled with lawlessness during the mass protest.
Though the curfew that is slammed in Zaria and Kaduna metropolitan areas affects even our major areas of residency far removed from the scenes of the rebellion, we nonetheless agree that it’s a development we have to endure for the good of the state.
We are however, happy to note that life has resumed to normalcy in targeted areas. In this light, are very much looking forward to the total uplifting of the curfew so that everyone can go about the full pursuit of livelihood in affected areas.
In Conclusion, MBF, Kaduna State Chapter acknowledges the dire living challenges we all face under this government and our legitimate rights to protest and hold the government accountable, but we insist that it must be done in a responsible and patriotic manner devoid of other negative motives strange to the intended action.
Together, we can build a brighter future for our State and our nation.
Let us stand firm in our values of orderliness, civility, and discipline, ensuring that our actions reflect the best of who we are as Middle Belters.
Thank you for your commitment to peace. Together, we can navigate our challenges and work towards a better tomorrow for our country.
Signed: Luka Biniyat Chairman, Middle Belt ForumKaduna State Chapter.
Good day ladies and gentlemen of the press. On behalf of the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP), Niger Delta Congress (NDC), Ogoni Youth Federation (OYF), National Union of Ogoni Students (NUOS), Ogoni Comrades and Patriots Forum (OCPF), the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) , Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), Ogoni Environment Watch (OEW), Ogoni Living Martyrs (OLM), Ogoni Youth Initiative (OYI), Eleme Youth Council (EYC), Ogoni Youth Coalition Movement (OYCM), Tai Youth Assembly (TYA), Standing and Living Without Bitterness (SLWB), and the good and peace loving people of Ogoniland, we welcome you all to this press conference.
We have convened here to discuss critical issues capable of disrupting the peace of not just Ogoni, Rivers State, and the Niger Delta, but Nigeria at large. But first, a brief history.
It is on record that a large part of Ogoni history has revolved around resisting injustice in all its forms and manifestations against Ogoni people and the Niger Delta Peoples. First, against the slave raiders, then the British colonialists, then International Oil companies who in collaboration with our fellow Nigerian compatriots, for personal gain, sought to dominate and subjugate us.
In holding the social justice mirror to the Nigerian society in it’s different phases of evolution, the Ogoni people have never attempted to denigrate, dominate nor subjugate anyone or group. Neither have we set out to take what does not rightfully belong to us.
In October 1990, the Ogoni people having grown tired of enduring environmental degradation and economic and political subjugation, despite our immense contributions to the development of the Nigerian Federation, presented to our fellow countrymen and the world the Ogoni Bill of Rights which captured the hopes and aspirations of our people and became a watershed moment for oppressed groups worldwide.
Although the Rights and demands captured in the Ogoni Bill of Rights were internationally recognized rights such as the control of Ogoni affairs by Ogoni people; control and use of Ogoni economic resources for Ogoni development; adequate and direct representation as of right for Ogoni people in all Nigerian national institutions; and the right to protect the Ogoni environment and ecology from further degradation, the Nigerian government responded by unleashing on our land and people a brutal violence never before seen in Nigeria’s history since the Nigerian Civil War.
As a result of this attempt at genocide and ethnic cleansing of our people, thousands of Ogonis were displaced, many of our communities sacked and have remained sacked till date, many of our people were maimed for life, and thousands more killed, including a generation of some of the brightest minds in not just Ogoni, but the Niger Delta and Nigeria in general. All these happened without the Ogonis picking up arms or firing a single bullet.
It is important to refresh our minds with this history because over the past 24 months, as Ogoni people continue to recover from our losses in our just stand against injustice and oppression, the Nigerian Federation and its collaborators in an attempt to reenact its past onslaught on Ogoni people have set in motion sinister plans to not only deprive Ogoni people of our rights and resources, but to further subjugate us politically and economically while also sowing seeds of discord capable of disrupting the peaceful and harmonious environment in Ogoni.
Firstly, it has come to our notice that between October 2021 and September 2022, the Nigerian government began negotiations with Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) over the handing over of the Ogoni field in its possession, OML 11, to the Nigerian government via the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).
At the conclusion of this negotiation which was spearheaded by the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in his then capacity as Governor of Rivers State, over $900 million, in equivalence of over N 1 trillion, was paid by Shell for the development of Ogoni in addition to handing over its assets to the NPDC.
Be that as it may, Ogoni people have not been properly informed of this fund from the appropriate quarters such as the Nigerian Government, the Rivers State Government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco), or former Governor Nyesom Wike who spearheaded the negotiations “on behalf” of the Ogoni people.
On the other hand, information available to us shows that over $300 million (over N360 billion) of the funds meant for the development of Ogoni has been shared amongst a few individuals with no recourse to the Ogoni people. We do not only find this insulting, we also find it inciting.
We are also aware that part of this fund have been made available to certain members of the Ogoni community via the NPDC to aid the resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland before the end of the fourth quarter of 2024 via bribery and the factionalization of Ogoni groups with the social license to discuss these issues such as the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), and the National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP).
The Ogoni people find the recent attempt at shortchanging and depriving our people of resources meant for our development as an affront taking into consideration the current economic and political realities of our people. And we want to state unequivocally, that Ogoni Youths are not against oil Resumption. But, we are open to honest, transparent and fruitful negotiation with Ogoni people.
According to the Multidimensional Poverty Report of 2022, Rivers South-East Senatorial District which is home to 90% of Ogoni people in Nigeria accounts for the poorest Senatorial District in Rivers State. The Ogoni people today have the least access to health facilities, the lowest life expectancy in Rivers State, and the highest unemployment rate despite having arguably the largest educated population in Rivers State. It is therefore tantamount to economic genocide the ongoing attempts to pilfer, plunder, pillage, and deprive Ogoni people of over $900 million (N1 trillion) meant for the economic development of our land and people bearing in mind the present socioeconomic realities as aptly captured by Nigeria’s own National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
We therefore use this medium to call the attention of the international community and the United Nations (UN) to the inciting actions of political actors in Nigeria capable of disrupting the peace in Ogoni.
OUR DEMANDS
We call on Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) led by Elohor Aiboni to come public on the compensation paid for the development of Ogoni.
We call on the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) led by Mr Mele Kyari, and the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) led by Mansur Sambo to come public on the compensation paid by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) for Ogoni people.
We call on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to come clean on the compensation paid by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) for the development of Ogoni.
Most importantly, we call on the Nigerian President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to as a matter of urgency order for an investigation into the whereabouts of the $900 million paid by Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPco) and meant for Ogoni development which has gone missing and the speedy prosecution of anyone or group found wanting in this regard.
In conclusion, we request for an audience with the Commander in- Chief and the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria with Ogoni stakeholders and youth leaders for necessary actions to address the pertinent issues raised herein.
Long live Ogoni Kingdom.
Long live the Niger Delta peoples.
Signed
1.National Youth Council of Ogoni People (NYCOP). Comr. Barinuazor Emmanuel- NYCOP PRESIDENT.
…Being an Address by Gloria Mabeiam Ballason Esq, C.E.O. House of Justice, at the 8th House of Justice Summit on Friday 24th November, 2023 at Epitome Events Centre Barnawa Kaduna-Nigeria
PROTOCOLS:
On behalf of the Management and Staff of House of Justice, I am truly delighted to welcome you to the historic city of Kaduna for the 8th House of Justice Summit & Burgundy Ball Banquet.
This is an annual civic gathering that enables the review of the biggest challenge in Nigeria and the African continent and invites those we consider most suited to curating solutions to enlighten and teach us so we can overcome those challenges.
As a private Justice multi-door house, we realize that if human beings create problems, it will behoove some other human beings to find solutions. In the normal course of events, we would have lingered on platitudes, but there is an urgency of now to which we must review electoral accountability and democratic stability because there is a straight line that leads from one to the other.
The tell signs are in Burkina faso, Sudan, Guinea, Mali and our next door neighbor, Niger. And with the murmuring sounds in Nigeria of the overturn of popular electoral votes, there is the need to very quickly review the imperative for the peoples votes and choice to be respected.
In recent times we have seen the state of our nation in the blighting endurance of citizens who are working past exhaustion to have a better country but are constantly being hit on the blindside and subdued to choices of leaders they did not make and an economy that, according to the World Poverty Clock assessment, makes it difficult for the 133 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians, to breath.
No one would have imagined that between August 2022 to August 2023, the average retail price of fuel will move from N189 to N626- an over 330% increase in just a year. The word that flies is subsidy removal but the presidency seems to not appreciate that a surgery without anesthesia is just as risky as the disease itself.
There is of course, a sharp decline in productivity as a number of state governors have struggled to contain the debilitating effect of the fuel hike on their public work force and so have reduced the work days, this remedial act, is in itself a direct violation of the Constitution which puts labour and public holiday under the exclusive legislative list.
Running up to the 2023 elections, Nigerians mobilized to choose leaders they hoped will make the difference they desire. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which promised to ensure credible elections through the use of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) to reveal results in real time on the IREV portal violated their own rules and sought alibi in system failures. INEC had a 2015 precedence of not delivering on the promise it claimed the smart card readers would deliver. On both counts, INEC’s failure to count and account for the sweat, tears and blood that often accompanies the Nigerian vote, has not met any consequence. At the minimum, there should be a refund to national coffers the huge sum for the purchase of these electoral gadgets and an inquiry on why INEC failed on its part of the bargain.
To be clear, Nigerians are not asking for smart card readers, BVAS or IREV. They just want their votes to count however that is done. Indeed, it has not helped that the onus to prove substantial compliance rests on candidates while INEC sadly, enjoys presumption of regularity. One clear effect of this undeserved presumption is that two successive senate presidents, who violated the Electoral Act by running for two offices at the same time, sit pretty at the National Assembly. Are there no more standards to leadership? Did they take thought on the legacy and precedence this creates?
And while we linger on that thought, the overturn of popular mandate by persons and institutions- including the Courts, has become all too worrisome. Popular votes are sometimes overturned by the Court. This flies in the face of section 14 (1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution which states that the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be a state base on the principles of democracy and social justice. (2) It is hereby accordingly declared that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom governments through this constitution derives all its powers and authority.’
Of the Supreme Court case of Hope Uzodinma V. Emeka Ihedioha, where a candidate who came first in elections was substituted with the one who came fourth, Supreme Court Justice Centus Nweze said ‘This court has powers to overrule itself and can revisit any decision not in accordance with justice…This Judgment will continue to hunt our electoral jurisprudence for a long time to come.’ In October, 2023,about a month ago,Hon. Justice Dattijo Muhammad, a Supreme Court Justice who rose to become the second most senior Justice of the Supreme Court shocked many when he, in his valedictory speech gave an insider account of corruption in the judiciary which manifests through the subversion of merit, lopsided composition of the Justices of the Supreme Court, skewed composition of the panel that decided the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s election, loss of the judiciary’s prestige and public confidence- a situation he described as an unprecedented low sink.
The situation is perhaps best described by my friend whose job description requires him to be apolitical but puts it this way: “ Nigeria takes for granted leadership at every level and does not think about the implications on our existence as a nation. We have dropped the bar so low that governance is an all- comers game and the polity treats politics and political matters like supporting a football club with blind pseudo loyalty and no long term thought other than ‘we won’. We have normalized chaos and political debauchery and sanctified moral decadence.The corrupt are worshipped and given a place of honour, while the morally upright are ostracized”
My friend’s football metaphor resonates. The challenge however is that in the Nigerian situation, laws and rules are on suspension. There are no yellow cards or red cards, just win howsoever and whensoever. This is dreadful as we have no separate country for those politicians or government officials who violate the laws different from the rest of us. The laws must therefore be allowed to speak a consistent language so it works for everyone.
Today we are a country awakened to the danger of treating the Constitution as a list of suggestions rather than the grund norm. The pain of citizens has turned to anger and despondency but that anger needs to be converted to resolution. Whether we take leadership to standards or bring standards to leadership, we must keep on the front burner the thought that a country which has no leadership threshold and which honours its laws in breach rather than in compliance is not a country that will proceed beyond its woes.
And so for myself, for House of Justice and for our nation and continent, I want to thank you for honouring our invitation with your hope that I believe will not make ashamed. I welcome most respectfully and warmly, Nigeria’s conscience, our Keynote Speaker, the Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Chairman, Senator Shehu Sani, the Special Guest of Honour, Hon. Justice K.B. Akaahs OFR JSC (Rtd), the outstanding faculty of speakers and doers of the High Panel Discussion and the Professionals who will be proferring solutions and action points. I have no doubt that we shall together find a method to our challenges if we let none hear us idly saying there is nothing I can do.
…Religious Leaders by their Calling Should be Agents of Peace and Promoters of Unity and National Cohesion. Anything short is manipulation of religion for destructive purposes.
Jos, Nigeria – Monday, October 30, 2023
The Revd Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, a prominent Nigerian peace builder and advocate, has issued a call for religious leaders across faiths to act more responsibly and shun issuing inflammatory statements from their pulpits either on Fridays or Sundays. Such misuse of the pulpit only divides Nigerians and consumes gullible listeners and followers along religious and ethnic lines.
Para-Mallam’s admonition comes in response to recent inflammatory statements particularly from some clerics of Northern extraction questioning the appropriateness of Ex-Governor Nyesom Wike’s appointment by President Bola Tinubu to serve as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on religious grounds. The clerics had suggested Wike’s Christian faith disqualifies him from holding an office overseeing the FCT. Some of such deadly rhetorics, erroneously described the Nigerian federal capital territory as a “Hausa and Fulani enclave,” which historically and geographically it is not.
In a strongly worded statement, the President and CEO of the Jos-based peace building organisation, The Para-Mallam Peace Foundation reminds such clerics and all Nigerians that the position of FCT Minister belongs to every qualified Nigerian regardless of their tribe or religious affiliation.
The peace and social justice crusader who has never met or known Wike personally, apart from the pages of newspapers or television, stated that Muslim clerics calling Wike on account of his Christian faith ‘infidels’ is not only erroneous but dangerous hate speech that could instigate religious violence against innocent Nigerians. Para-Mallam reminds such clerics that Christians firmly believe in God and love Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Therefore, referring a Christian as an unbeliever is factually incorrect, provocative and risks inciting hostility against them.
Para-Mallam further called on such clerics to be more responsible with their public utterances and stop making loose comments that demean other faiths or suggest excluding qualified Nigerians from positions of national service and governance roles; on religious grounds.
“It beats my imagination that clerics use vulgar language to characterise the Hon Minister. This is strange and dysfunctional application of religion. To suggest that Wike being a Christian is therefore an Arne (infidel) is an intentional wicked characterisation of not only Wike but all Christians. It is absolutely wrong for any Muslim leader or Muslims to describe Christians as Arne. This is pure hypocrisy on the part of such Muslim Clerics. To describe Christians as Arne is not only unacceptable but hate speech borne out of hatred. Nigeria should be spared further agony by such unfounded miss-applied religious labelings.” He said.
He also reminded all faith leaders that Nigeria belongs to people of every tribe and creed. No ethnic group or religious followers can lay exclusive claim over national roles and institutions. Any thing to the contrary is religious grandstanding.
“Abuja belongs to all Nigerians. It is not the sole preserve or entitlement of any particular ethnic group or religious adherents. If the Gbyagis have shown accommodation of other ethnic groups, the rest of us should shun politics of provocation in the name of religion. Those making these inflammatory utterances should know better than to insinuate ex-Governor Wike cannot hold the office simply because he is a Christian from the South. Targeting Wike and other Christians who hold visible positions in the country is an act of disservice to the Nigerian State.” Para-Mallam said.
Para-Mallam urges clerics to act with wisdom, restraint and dignity befitting their offices when they are preaching or speaking to audiences.
“They should refrain from sermons which demeans other faiths or insinuating exclusion of qualified Nigerians from service because of their religion. We should all be tired of such antics. We become the laughing stock of the global community. Nigeria is blessed by excellent minds and brains. In truth these gifted individuals are found both in the north and south and also among Christians and Muslims. The age of using religion for manipulative purposes is gone forever in Nigeria.” He said.
The peace advocate explained that faith leaders have great influence, so their words carry weight hence the need for caution.
“They must avoid language that marginalizes, excludes, divides or incites hostility against any Nigerian on religious or ethnic grounds. In truth there’s huge groundswell of support for Wike and he is gradually being transformed into a national hero. Wike rises while his detractors are diminished. Every Nigerian is qualified to be Minister of the FCT. Wike should not and cannot be made an exception.” He said
In addition, Para-Mallam called on religious leaders to become positive voices of moderation, inspiration, reconciliation and unity. They should build bridges between faith communities, calm tensions, and advance shared interests for the common good of all Nigerians: Christians and Muslims alike.
“With Nigeria facing huge insecurity and socio-economic challenges, the country needs clerics to serve as forces of stability, progress and hope – rather than merchants of division and strife. Their platforms and influence should unite, not divide.” The Peace builder added.
Speaking on recent attacks and negative criticisms towards the FCT Minister, Nyesome Wike over allegations of ‘forming alliance’ with Israel to attack Gaza and the people of Palestine, Para-Mallam said such allegations are not only baseless but capable of setting the nation on fire. He goes on to note that in the past, Abuja has been governed by Muslim FCT ministers who also at different times hosted Israeli government officials and investors in the Nigerian capital.
“If hosting Israeli envoys in Abuja was not a problem when done in the past by Muslim FCT ministers, why should it become an issue now with Governor Wike simply because he is a Christian? This is the kind of inflammatory religious insinuations we must avoid for national peace and unity. Such tactics won’t scare Christians from relating with Israel. There are many Arab nations who do business with Israel. ‘Nigerians cannot be more Catholic than the Pope,’ as the expression goes.
It is on record that the Israeli ambassador’s visit to the office of the FCT was on carried out on the 3rd of October, 2023. “Why connect such with the unfortunate war going on in Israel/Gaza? This was days before the war started and the visit was not a secret visit but well covered by the media . . . In truth, does a minister of the federal republic of Nigeria have the powers to engage in diplomatic negotiations involving international actors in a conflict situation?” He stated.
With Nigeria facing enormous economic, security and governance challenges, Para-Mallam stressed that respected faith leaders must avoid statements that marginalize or incite hatred against any Nigerians on religious or ethnic grounds.
Instead, the leadership guru said, they should be forces for unity, progress, stability and hope – using their platforms and influence to build bridges, calm tensions, and advance the shared interests of all Nigerians regardless of tribe or creed.
“That is the Nigeria we must keep working and praying to build together.” He said.
He concludes by appealing to all religious leaders to promote tolerance, respect diversity, and pursue national healing. Avoiding inflammatory rhetoric and uniting Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines is vital for the nation’s peace and prosperity. Nigeria will rise again from the ashes of social injustice and discriminatory religious tendencies to becoming the envy of other nations in peace Co-existence. I believe in Nigeria and our current leadership trajectory will change for the BEST.
