By Dansu Peter
A former Nigeria's Ambassador to Switzerland and one of the founding members of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ambassador Yahaya Kwande has unequivocally said that there is nothing like the Middle Belt region in the northern part of Nigerian, saying the region remains indivisible entity that cannot be broken by anyone.
Kwande in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune where he bore his mind on many issues bothering on politics and the clamour for the restructuring of the nation said there has not been middle belt anywhere in north.
His words when queried on the north and the middle belt dichotomy;
"Forget about what some people are saying that there is nothing like one North anymore. Following the death of Maitama Sule, who was the former chairman of the forum, a new chairman has been appointed in person of Paul Unongo who is from the Middle Belt. So, what are you saying? I can categorical tell you that we are one in the North. If I may ask, have you ever seen any office of these Middle Belt groups anywhere in places they refer to as Middle Belt?"
Ambassador Kwande further opined that the Middle Belt is indivisiblepart and parcel of the North.
"The Middle Belt is part of the North. Some of the advocates of Middle Belt went as far as claiming that places like Zuru in Kebbi State, Gwoza in Adamawa State, among others, are part of the Middle Belt."
"The core Middle Belt states are Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, and Kwara. Go and ask these people called leaders of these Middle Belt groups where is the boundary of Middle Belt? You see them referring to places in Kebbi, Adamawa and other places in the North-East and North-West as Middle Belt."
"So, there is the need for a clear definition of Middle Belt. But you can see the sign of Northern unity in the appointment of Paul Unongo as chairman of Northern Elders Forum", Kwande submitted.
Excerpted from Nigerian Tribune
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