In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, the organization’s chairman, Mr. Timothy Gandu, announced the dates of the National Delegates Conference, which will take place in Kaduna on August 9 to 10, 2024. We will work to guarantee that the objectives we have set are met in a methodical, methodical, and peaceful manner. We plan to convene with other native ethnic groups in the nation to present our desire for a restructuring of Nigeria prior to 2027.
“The objective is to create space for the indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt to participate in the Nigerian federation as equal partners,” he stated. He clarified that their demands for participation will be discussed and consolidated at the conference under the topic, “Restructuring and Enactment of the Peoples Constitution, Panacea to Peace and Good Growth of the Nation.” According to him, the Coalition of Indigenous Ethnic Nationalities in Nigeria called for indigenous ethnic nationalities around the nation to submit their perspectives on restructuring, and as a result, CIMBO was founded in 2023.
Gandu continued, saying that the establishment of eight geopolitical zones and additional states in Nigeria was suggested in the 2014 National Conference Report. The chairman emphasized that, given its size and population, the Middle Belt was intended to consist of three zones: Middle Belt East, Middle Belt Central, and Middle Belt West. This was based on the report. He said: “The non-actualization of the 2014 Confab recommendations and the promulgation of laws and policies detrimental to the people of the middle belt have necessitated the call for all indigenous ethnic organizations to meet and reinforce their stand as a bloc in Nigeria. “The meeting is attracting over 100 delegates, representative of the over 400 indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Middle Belt.
One of the key topics of discussion during the conference will be the necessity of preserving our ethnic identity and maintaining authority over our territories, customs, and resources. Other concerns include our ethnic groups’ freedom from colonialism, internal tyranny, and repression as well as their right to join the Nigerian federation and share in its benefits equally with all other groups in the country. Additionally, we aim to uphold and strengthen all of the Middle Belt’s constructive initiatives, including those of the Kwararafa People’s Assembly, Conference of Autochthonous Ethnic Nationalities Community Development Associations, and Middle Belt Forum.
