Story Written By By Daniel Karlmax and Edited by Godwin Duru
Coalition of Indigenous Middle Belt Organizations, CIMBO has advocated the need for the Nigerian constitution to be reviewed for proper political and administrative restructuring to guarantee justice, equity and control over land and resources.
The group further stated that 2014 National Conference Report should be the basis for the restructuring to ensure that governance is brought closer to the people for inclusive growth and development.
CIMBO’s Chairman, Mr. Timothy Barau Gandu stated this in a communique after the two-day delegate conference held in Kaduna with the theme “Restructuring and Enactment of People’s Constitution: Panacea to Good Growth of the Nation”.
He explained that the conference attended by delegates representing over four hundred indigenous ethnic nationalities within the region , was targeted at brainstorming on issues relating to the unity and self- determination of the Middle Belt Organizations.
According to Mr. Gandu, the conference also provided a platform for a robust discussion on the need for restructuring through constitutional reforms, and strategies to actualize the 2014 National Conference Report.
The Conference Chairman pointed out that strategies for constructive engagements with the political class from the middle belt on the need to elicit their support on the initiative were also discussed.
Timothy B. Gandu expressed the resolution of the delegates to wholesomely support the advocacy, alongside the need to restructure the various security systems to ensure state and the local police are created for enhanced security of lives and properties.
According to him, the delegate conference resolved to make CIMBO an arm of the Middle Belt Forum, and operate as its parliament to improve the operational capacity of the region.
To sustain the activities of CIMBO, the conference agreed that, state chapters would be created to always liaise with the national body for a periodic interface with the Middle Belt Forum, MBF
The communique added that the status of the FCT must be reviewed in line with the 2014 National Conference to enable the creation of FCT in the area for easy governance and resource control.
In their presentations tagged “The Position of the Middle Belt on Restructuring and Constitutional amendment, The Middle Belt People’s Struggles For Liberation and Restructuring:The Journey so Far” by Professor O. Ejeikwu, and Dr. Zuwaqhu Bonat that gave historical accounts of states formation, highlighted the demands for the control of ethnic land and resources, as well as abrogation of laws and statutes that promote inequality and suppression of the people.
The call for restructuring according to the papers were more pressing, considering the significant growth and diversity of the ethnic composition of the Middle Belt that is estimated at forty four million as at June this year.
They posit that, restructuring through constitutional reforms would pave the way for regions to have control over their resources for inclusive growth.
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 delegate Conference featured comments, observations and contributions, as well as presentations among others.
Daniel Karlmax
