COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF SOUTH-MIDDLE BELT LEADERS CONSULTATIVE SUMMIT ON SATURDAY, 15TH JULY, 2017 AT LADI KWALI HALL OF SHERATON HOTEL, ABUJA

Pre-amble

In accordance with the established democratic ideals of peacefully resolving fundamental issues or even conflicts through genuine dialogueand consultations, it was considered wise and most appropriate to convene a high-level Summit of leaders from the South and Middle Belt of Nigeria to peacefully consult and lay-out an orderly process of finding viable solutions to the rising agitations for a fair, just, equitable and balanced restructuring of our federal system. Rising from an intensive consultative session in Abuja on Saturday, 15th July, 2017, the delegates resolved to issue the following Communique:

1. In a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious country like Nigeria, the federal system makes enormous sense, because it allows the federating units to fully look after their local affairs and to develop at their own pace. We therefore renew our loyalty, love and fundamental support for the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ONE Nation under GOD.

2. However, we are resolutely of the view that the current federal structure is unbalanced, unjust, unfair, over-centralized, unstable, anti-development and therefore unacceptable. Accordingly, we firmly support the demand to re-structure the federation in line with the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference to restore the country to the principles of Federalism enshrined in the independence constitution negotiated by our founding fathers.

3. For the federation to function properly in the interest of the constituent parts, there should be fundamental devolution of powers and functions to the federating units, so that each federating unit can effectively serve the development interests of the people. This is the central essence of a good federation, not the current over-centralization of powers and functions in the central government.

4. As a logical derivative, we must work out a new fiscal formula that will move Nigeria away from the current over-dependence on oil and gas revenue to a diversified economy where all federating units are encouraged to develop their abundant natural human resources for regional and national development. The Federating Units shall remit agreed percentage of their revenue to the federation account.

5. 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 the full implementation of the resolutions and recommendations contained in the CONFERENCE REPORT. Accordingly, we support the recent resolution of the National Assembly that the Report of the 2014 National Conference be placed before it.

6. We draw the attention of the Federal Government to the fact that the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a secular state, in which the Governments cannot adopt any religion as a state religion. Therefore, we ask the Federal government to immediately review the discriminatory appointments into key offices of Government and the Public Service and comply with section 14 of the 1999 Constitution.

In addition, recent plans to adopt a combined Syllabus of religious and moral education be immediately stopped, and a return to status quo be restored, so as to ensure the teaching of Christian Religious Knowledge and Islamic Religious Knowledge separately.

7. We denounce in the strongest possible terms the irresponsible and wicked destruction of lives and property by invading herdsmen throughout the Middle Belt and Southern States. There appears to be an organic link between the operations of the Herdsmen and the Boko Haram group. The current non-chalant attitude of the Federal Government to the violence daily unleashed by the Herdsmen on innocent Nigerians is driving the Country to a war situation in several states.

We call on the Federal Government to immediately disarm all herdsmen in the Country and bring an end to this organised terror. State Government are also called upon to outlaw open grazing in favour organise ranching.

8. The Summit condemns in the strongest terms the recent revelation by the chief of Army Staff, Lt General TukurBuratai about sinister plot to upturn the constitutional order in the country. The summit resolved to resist any attempt to overthrow constitution rule in the country. Nigerians will resist Military rule under any guise.

9. Summit condemns the quit order issued by Arewa Youth to Igbos to vacate the North by 1st October. The quit order is reprehensible and we insist that any harm done to the Igbo will be taken as an attack on the entire South and the Middle Belts.

10. The Summit calls on the Federal government to look into 16-point agenda submitted to the President by the South-South Leaders to sustain the current peace in the Niger Delta.

Southern Nigeria [South West, South South& South East] and Middle Belt Leaders

In Attendance

I. Elder Edwin Clarke, OFR, CON

II. General Ike Nwachukwu, Rtd

III. Chief Ayo Adebanjo


IV. Prof. Jerry Gana, CON

V. Chief OluFalae

VI. Chief Guy Ikokwu

VII. Amb. Dan Suleiman

VIII. Chief Albert Horsfall

IX. Obong Victor Attah

X. General IshayaRiziBamaiyi, Rtd

XI. Chief OnyemaUgochukwu

XII. High Chief Johnson Opone

XIII. Amb. WadibiaAnyanwu

XIV. Dr Bala Takaya

XV. Elder Paul Bassi

XVI. Elder Prof.ChigozieOgbu, OFR

XVII. Amb. Wilberforce Juta

XVIII. Capt. Idris I. Wada

XIX. General. D M Jemibewon, Mni

XX. Prof. [Mrs] Viola Onwuliri

XXI. Dr Paddy Njoku

XXII. Chief Francis Doukpola, MFR

XXIII. Amb. G. B Igali, OON

XXIV. Dr Ike Neliaku

XXV. Mr.Labaran Maku, CON

XXVI. Dr.Oluwayomi David Atte

XXVII. Dr. Tim Menakaya

XXVIII. Mr. John Dara

XXIX. Prof.IhechukwuMadubuike

Bleep. Dr Yinka Odumaki

XXXI. AVM. O C Obieaika

XXXII. Barr. Mark Jacob

XXXIII. Dr. Pogu Bitrus

http://www.thebreakingtimes.com/an-attack-on-one-of-us-is-an-attack-on-all-of-us-south-east-south-west-south-south-and-middle-belt-leaders-declare/

It's OK. But don't just say it. Act it.

They should remove SW from that Union. You can never ever separate Yorubaa Muslims from Hausa-Fulani.

9. Summit condemns the quit order issued by Arewa Youth to Igbos to vacate the North by 1st October. The quit order is reprehensible and we insist that any harm done to the Igbo will be taken as an attack on the entire South and the Middle Belts..
.

. I like this

...LET THEM PUSH FOR A SEPARATE COUNTRY IF THEY ARE SERIOUS...

...i am tired of not only living in an animal kingdom but living side by side with wild animals.

You guys are taking risk by adding back stabbers/ Fulani slaves in your Union.

Count s s out in any movement with sw

I can't believe this, the alliance is coming faster than incan imagine.

Once it is clear that the SW, SE, DS and MB are together, the North will have no option than to behave.

and if they refuse, then let them stay on their own.

That's a good development, with this unite abokis with their born to rule mentality will soon find themselves on a long thing. though someone should keep eyes on those from west because they are not trustworthy at all.

They should check SW very well in this Union. They can never be trusted.

Revolution Loading........ enough Hausa/Fulani misbehaviors and born to rule.

Nonsense..!

Biafrans stop spreading your hate on Yoruba in this forum
It's a sign of inferiority complex

OBSERVATIONS:::

Union between the SS + SE only =SW Resistance (fear of the core north)

But any Union that will Plus them i.e SSSE+SW against the Northern/fulani m*dness will be A welcome development.

LESSON:::
The Northern nIGERIA's are the main problem, they mentality towards the human person is a sickness. They mentality that every other person is a slave will (about to) be they downfall.

Quote me not. Thank you.

Beware of SW

Awolowo betrayed Ojukwu

NADECO betrayed Abiola

Afonjas betrayed FFK

Afonjas betrayed Goodluck Jonathan.

And you are still including them in your plans.

Person wey rat scratch him body with its fingers and come bite am again......he go wait make the rat come slap am

if the south can come together then the north is in serious trouble

please on behalf of my EASTERN brothers...we say NO to any ally with the SW. ..no back stabbers are welcomed in our land

Osaze007:
Biafrans stop spreading your hate on Yoruba in this forum
It's a sign of inferiority complex

Afonja! You belong to the Fulanis. Also your Urhobo, Itshekiri and Edo including Ukwuani people. You are not wanted in this alliance

Osaze007:
Biafrans stop spreading your hate on Yoruba in this forum
It's a sign of inferiority complex

nothing like inferiority complex..once beaten,twice shy...

we understand una backstabbing nature too well..no hating ,

kwen1:
OBSERVATIONS:::

Union between the SS + SE only =SW Resistance (fear of the core north)

But any Union that will Plus them i.e SSSE+SW against the Northern/fulani m*dness will be A welcome development.

LESSON:::
The Northern nIGERIA's are the main problem, they mentality towards the human person is a sickness. They mentality that every other person is a slave will (about to) be they downfall.

Quote me not. Thank you.

nonsensical nonsense

Una mumu oo....this is fake communique. No print or electronic media reported it. With the calibre of names listed in attendance the news would have been everywhere. However, I like this Gideon Orkar spirit that has refused to die.

givbitcoin:


nonsensical nonsense

Una mumu oo....this is fake communique. No print or electronic media reported it. With the calibre of names listed in attendance the news would have been everywhere. However, I like this Gideon Orkar spirit that has refused to die. [color=#006600][/color]

Michaellegend:
9. Summit condemns the quit order issued by Arewa Youth to Igbos to vacate the North by 1st October. The quit order is reprehensible and we insist that any harm done to the Igbo will be taken as an attack on the entire South and the Middle Belts..
.

. I like this

and what can the useless fools do about it? Bleep all of them

bunch of cowardly jokers

It's obvious that the Yorubas are the worst nightmare of the Igbos.I consider this as a surrender to the Yorubas by the biafrans.We did it last time,we can do it again and again.The fear of Yorubas is the beginning of wisdom for the Igbos.Great!Great!!Great!!! Afonjas.Greeeeeeeeeaaaaaaat!

Count the SSSE out of your political insanity , we are never a part of it unless Nnamdi Kanu says so. But for now tinubu can keep sponsoring all manner of summit for all I care.

bobbyfest:
we afonjas elders can make mouth.....everything na fake ....d fight dt broke up in ile ife btw yorubas nd hausas months ago.....d govt of our fatherland stil went ahead nd arrest our pple....no hausa was arrested. ....if an afonja was killed in northern states....ntin z done to dt...my afonja pple abeg let's kip our heads low....I no hausa nd igbos are kin to dre words bt see henh if u fight hausa man fr south west no mean say u ar a yoruba man ooo...u wil be arrested nd d hausa man wil be freed....I rest my case

they were asked to com pensate the awusas with 50million naira too

Mr Seun should do something about these idiots suffering from inferiority complex before they drive other reasonable ethnicities away..

You hate yorubas but can't leave a forum owned by a yoruba to your biafrasay or what have you. Senseless creatures