By Dirisu Yakubu
ABUJA-Leaders under the auspices of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) yesterday at a press conference in Abuja, lend its support to the calls for the restructuring of the Nigerian State.

Restructuring

Declaring the conference open, National President of the forum and former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana said leaders of the Middle Belt region decided to converge to deliberate and find durable solutions to the challenges bedeviling the nation in general and the region in particular.

According to him, there’s the urgent need to ensure peaceful co-existence of the diverse groups in the country, noting that differences amongst Nigerians need to be understood for the good of all.

“We can only find lasting solutions to guide our people in the ways of peace, if we thoroughly understand the dynamics of the forces at play in our society. To succeed in transforming any system, the elements within that system must be properly identified, analyzed and their dynamics relationships fully understood,” he said.

Taking a cursory look at the existing federal system, the forum called for restructuring that would ultimately culminate in the devolution of more powers to the federating units to enthrone a sense of balance and stability.

“We are resolutely of the view that the current federal structure is unbalanced, unfair, over-centralized and therefore unstable. Accordingly, we firmly support the demand to restructure the federation, together with appropriate devolution of powers to the federating units, and a commensurate revenue allocation formula,” the forum noted.

MBF further urged the federal government to look into the recommendations contained in the 2014 conference report to tame growing agitations for secession by some ethnic nationalities, arguing that the confab report if implemented, would douse tensions currently prevailing in the land.

“Since these fundamental matters were considered and resolved at the 2014 National Conference, we urge the federal government to take appropriate and urgent steps to ensure full implementation of resolutions and recommendations contained in the conference report.

“We believe that a faithful and effective implementation of those recommendations will promote peace, harmony and greater security, thereby giving Nigeria a new lease of life,” they added.

While condemning the recent ultimatum issued by the Arewa Youths mandating Nigerians of South-East extraction to vacate the North, the forum maintained that “such calls…are totally unconstitutional and unacceptable,” even as it urged the federal and state governments to “take effective steps to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians wherever they may choose to reside.”

The gathering had in attendance such eminent personalities as Senator Iyorchia Ayu, Dr. Ahmadu Ali, Air Commodore Dan Sulaiman (retd), Mr. Labaran Maku, Senator Jonathan Zwingina, Major General David Jemibewon (retd), Fidelis Tapgun, Professor Angela Okatahi, and Mr. John Dara amongst others.