@ Leonard, yeah you

DRANOEL:

what makes people one is affirnity with each other. most of the so called MB tribes have nothing (absolutely nothing) in common! for instance theres nothing in common btw the igala and the berom man,neither is there anything in common btw the bachama and mada man.the tivs are so distinct from the others! MB is just an idea of forming a front of minorities against the hausa/fulani. most of these MB tribes have an affirnity with the hausa through years of intermingling the exception being the eastern central ones i.e igala,tiv,idoma!

Since you believe the MB folks have nothing in common, what do you propose? That things remain the way they are?

I guess we need to have some form of self-determination, no?

The beauty of the MB is actually the heterogeneity. If however, you are from this region, you will understand the level of understanding among its people. There are boundary clashes and other expressions of vice, but no different from what is happening in seemingly homogeneous places in Nigeria

To give a small example, Cameroon has over 200 ethnic groups. However, in that country the level of ethnic antagonism is not up to that of Nigeria. I reckon this is due to the fact that no ethnic group is large enough to dominate all the others, at least not permanently. The main problem is between Anglo and Franco sections. This is quite different from the Nigerian situation

If the Middle Belt region gets some kind of autonomy within Nigeria, it would still have to work out its own workable internal structure for stability and growth

My understanding, purely based on synthesizing what I read over the years, is that the same reason why MD is strongly resisted by many today is the same reason why the MD could not be created in the 1963.

Over the years, a large number of ethnic groups have metamorphosed into Hausa speaking, and as Leonard said, most of these ethnic groups have similarities and more affinity to the Hausa people than the next ethnic group, except where the religion is different. The ethnic groups that make up Southern Bauchi State for instance, are largely related with those of Plateau State, however, because of Islam most of these ethnic groups, apart from Seyawa who are majority Christains, have gradually turn into Hausa (example - Jarawa, Miya, Burra). Even the Kanuri in Northern Bauchi and Yobe States are today gradually becoming hausanised. Until the beginning of the recent religious crises, the Birom and Angas in Plateau State have no problems relating to, and also being called hausa. In fact, at the fore front of the vanguards of One North, mostly were the Plateau guys.

You are also understating the enimity between various ethnic groups in the middle belt. Most of these ethnic groups occupied the same narrow strip of land and have fought each other for centuries: the Jukuns, Tivs and Idoma have fought each, and the enmity is still manifesting today, having an independent region made of these groups alone will not usher in peace and prosperity. I think the Nigerian umbrella which provided the State and Local Government structure have reduced tension significantly between various ethnic groups in the central of Nigeria. The defunct Benue-Plateau State is an example of what would happen when such autonomous region exist.

Tsiya:

My understanding, purely based on synthesizing what I read over the years, is that the same reason why MD is strongly resisted by many today is the same reason why the MD could not be created in the 1963.

Over the years, a large number of ethnic groups have metamorphosed into Hausa speaking, and as Leonard said, most of these ethnic groups have similarities and more affinity to the Hausa people than the next ethnic group, except where the religion is different. The ethnic groups that make up Southern Bauchi State for instance, are largely related  with those of Plateau State, however, because of Islam most of these ethnic groups, apart from Seyawa who are majority Christains, have gradually turn into Hausa (example - Jarawa, Miya, Burra). Even the Kanuri in Northern Bauchi and Yobe States are today gradually becoming hausanised. Until the beginning of the recent religious crises, the Birom and Angas in Plateau State have no problems relating to, and also being called hausa. In fact, at the fore front of the vanguards of One North, mostly were the Plateau guys.

Great post, bro. However, I have some things I disagree with:
- Using the same reason of regional or national domination to prevent the establishment of the MB would only prove that we have not learnt anything in the last 48 years of motion without movement. My argument is based on the fact that the removal of the MB from the taken-for-granted Northern monolith would improve the homogeneity index for the rest of the area (HFK) and as such reduce friction between its peoples

- The Hausanized groups within Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Borno States cannot be in MB because they have already blended into the rest of the HFK territory. The Sayawa of Bauchi and the Tangale-Waja  of Gombe have not undergone this transformation and are MB peoples in my book. The Akoko people of Ondo, despite their linguistic differences with the Yoruba have blended in with the other Oduduwa people. I would dare you to tell an Akoko man he was not Yoruba

- I do not believe the Berom and Angas ever saw themselves as Hausa. I grew up in Jos. I know the people there use Hausa as a lingua franca, but I guess they never felt the need to exert their indigenous rights until the 1995 Jasawa crisis. I guess they may have seen themselves as one North during the 1966-75 period when their son was Head of State, and that was strongly influenced by the North/East issues we had at the time

I do not know where you are from, but I can see even you know these differences. Like I said earlier, Islam is not a criterion for making a group a middle belt group, but  you will agree that small groups near Hausa area tend to be easily assimilated. If this is not stopped by establishing the MB autonomy, even the Hausa will lose as they will spend the next two centuries and all their energy trying to make all the MB groups 'fall in line' rather than on modern developmental strategies. You can imagine all the chaos this will generate

Tsiya:

You are also understating the enimity between various ethnic groups in the middle belt. Most of these ethnic groups occupied the same narrow strip of land and have fought each other for centuries: the Jukuns, Tivs and Idoma have fought each, and the enmity is still manifesting today, having an independent region made of these groups alone will not usher in peace and prosperity. I think the Nigerian umbrella which provided the State and Local Government structure have reduced tension significantly between various ethnic groups in the central of Nigeria. The defunct Benue-Plateau State is an example of what would happen when such autonomous region exist. 

If you see my previous post to DRANOEL, I believe the Middle Belt, and the South-South as well, if they ever become autonomous units, will still need to work out very scientific internal structures that will be to the interest of everyone. Such practices like the LGA and other sub-units may have to be carried over to these new autonomous regions where desired

I know I sound quite idealist but these are just my thoughts on how things should go. And I do not see any easy roads to take

I do not really see the Hausa-Fulani as enemy, but if we try to exist in a unitary system with them there will be a lot of friction which would not be beneficial to anyone. I believe they need their own space, just like the three southern regions

karfe:

@Naijaking, I hope you are not using that old map to jump into conclusions. There is actually no part of Kogi that can be seen as Igbo territory if you check very well. Kogi was just the old LGA in Koton Karfe which is now used to name the whole state due to lack of a common reference for the heterogeneous area. Remember Kogi has Yoruba as well

hehehe, biafrans will try to claim Kogi without being challenged. Thanks to people like karfe, that claim will be invalidated.

Naijaking, Happy New Year, I didn't know that you are a closet expansionist.

ndu_chucks:

hehehe, biafrans will try to claim Kogi without being challenged. Thanks to people like karfe, that claim will be invalidated.

Naijaking, Happy New Year, I didn't know that you are a closet expansionist.

If i remember correctly, you're actually the very person who blatantly denied the existence of any entity known as middle belt.

edoyad:

If i remember correctly, you're actually the very person who blatantly denied the existence of any entity known as middle belt. 

What are you talking about? You people can "socially speaking", call all non-Dan Fodians in the geographical north and central north as the Middle Belt people or the Upper Belt people for all I care.  It appears that you have a short memory because you forgot that my only claim was that you are a Northerner, olodo. Even Shilgba admits that you are Northerners.

So you never said that then.

And, on we go to take a look at the REST and certainly not the least of the MIDDLE BELT area:

SOUTHERN KEBBI:

The people of the Zuru District (Dakarkari, et al) were once part of Kontagora Division in Niger province. I have no idea what motive led to them being transferred to Sokoto State instead of Niger State in 1976. Today, they are found in Kebbi State. They have an Emir but still retain sufficient cultural difference to be classified as a MB group. This group would fit better in Niger State (which is already getting quite large) or a new Kainji State in an autonomous MIDDLE BELT region

SOUTHERN BAUCHI:

The Sayawa people of Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro LGA's retain much of their cultural heritage and are constantly in a war to survive cultural and religious assimilation as has happened to the rest of Bauchi State. The other Southern Bauchi peoples who were once part of the MB area have since been properly Hausanized and are comfortable with their new status. I may be wrong however,  Transfer of the Sayawa to Plateau State would solve a lot of political problems

SOUTHERN GOMBE:

Due to strong hausanization, the only notable groups in this state that are of MB persuasion are the Tangale, Waja and a few other minority groups around, and south of, Gombe town. However, these groups are more prominent and have a much stronger say politically in Gombe State than, say, in Bauchi State. Transfer of these people to Adamawa State would be my option. However, I would like to see some argument for or against this option

SOUTHERN BORNO:

I cannot say for certain that the peoples of the area are of MB persuasion. However, my only reason is that this area was not part of the original Middle Belt State requested by the UMBC during the Willink hearings in 1958. Due to strong presence of non-Islamic peoples around Biu from the Bura, Marghi and a few other groups, an alternative identity is clearly identified. The peoples of this area have strongly fought for a Savannah State in the recent past. Even though the Muslim population is quite high, there is a clear difference between these peoples and the Kanuri to the North. In any case, it appears the entire population of this area is strongly resistant to Kanuri domination. I cannot say much about their relationship with Hausa-Fulani but I know Hausa and Fulfulde (Fulani language) are strongly spoken by these peoples

It is left to Southern Borno (and all other areas I mentioned earlier) to decide on this MB autonomy. To transfer to Adamawa?? To create Savannah State??

SOUTHERN KADUNA:

Even though this area is outside the North Central, it is, together with the Berom area of PLATEAU and Tiv area of BENUE, one of the strongest proponents for the MIDDLE BELT cause. The most prominent group within this area are the Bajju. The Kataf [/b]people are also quite well known due to obvious historical reasons

Originally, the MB southern area of Kaduna State was thought to have extended to Jaji, where the Command and Staff College on the Kaduna-Zaria road is located. However, after much 'compromise', the line of division has been pushed all the way down to the Kaduna river, dividing the City of Kaduna into two parts. This line of division may still need to be 'agreed' in the event of future boundary arrangements. The ten southern LGA's of this state have repeatedly requested for a [b]GURARA state. The granting of this state will solve a lot of identity issues, and the entire country would be better for it

Having completed a SIMPLIFIED review of the complex MB area, here is my proposal (based on my limited knowledge of the rest of the country and how I feel the MIDDLE BELT will fit best with the rest):

5 AUTONOMOUS REGIONS:

AREWA (NORTH)
MIDDLE BELT (CENTRAL)
ALAIGBO (EAST)
ODUDUWA (WEST)
NIGER DELTA (SOUTH)

3 SPECIAL (OR FEDERAL-GOVERNMENT RUN) TERRITORIES:

LAGOS
PORT HARCOURT
KADUNA

1 FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY - ABUJA

DRANOEL:

what makes people one is affirnity with each other. most of the so called MB tribes have nothing (absolutely nothing) in common! for instance theres nothing in common btw the igala and the berom man,neither is there anything in common btw the bachama and mada man.the tivs are so distinct from the others! MB is just an idea of forming a front of minorities against the hausa/fulani. most of these MB tribes have an affirnity with the hausa through years of intermingling the exception being the eastern central ones i.e igala,tiv,idoma!

Leave these guys on the Internet. Half of them never been to Arewa to properly research. Then same guys want to wonder why thier brothers love living in Arewa more than their own land  

Btw All the Sharia states plus North Adamawa, North Taraba = Arewa

rest of the states can decide to form middle belt or join odua or Biafra.

The internal structure of the Middle Belt I propose is as follows:

ADAMAWA - Including the MB portions of Southern Gombe (Tangale / Waja)
TARABA
PLATEAU - Including the MB portions of Southern Bauchi (Sayawa)
GURARA - Southern Kaduna
KAINJI - Kontagora area of Niger, Borgu areas of Niger and Kwara, and Zuru area of Kebbi
NIGER - Nupe and Gbagyi areas of Niger, as well as the Nupe area of Kwara
NASARAWA
BENUE
KOGI - Current Kogi without the Yoruba areas

The Yoruba areas of Kwara and Kogi to combine (or not?) and be part of the ODUDUWA autonomous region together or separately

How una see am?!

@karfe, the traditional ruler of the Zuru people is known as Gomo. The present king, Sani Sami or something is Muslim and started brandishing the title of Emir so as to impress the people he was in cahoots with. Ebiras have a large Muslim population but their king has got his title hasn't he ?
The title of Emir is alien to Zurus, not that there's anything wrong with it.

@ Karfe is this proposed under Nigeria as federalsim or complete split?

if federalism what is wrong with the 6 zones now?

Dede1:

How soon you forgot the exploits of your kinsmen in the so-called debacle at Ore? Water has already gone under the bridge. The mere insinuation of phantom federalism in Nigeria remains a political copout. Anything short of disintegration of the colonial contraption called Nigeria is unacceptable.

Maybe we should ask what your kinsmen were looking for in Ore which happens to be Yoruba territory

edoyad:

@karfe, the traditional ruler of the Zuru people is known as Gomo. The present king, Sani Sami or something is Muslim and started brandishing the title of Emir so as to impress the people he was in cahoots with. Ebiras have a large Muslim population but their king has got his title hasn't he ?
The title of Emir is alien to Zurus, not that there's anything wrong with it.

Thanks, bro. We learn everyday. I think its the hausanization in action!

DanKan0:

@ Karfe is this proposed under Nigeria as federalsim or complete split?

if federalism what is wrong with the 6 zones now?

My take on the current 6 zones:

- It tries to sustain the North-South dichotomy by maintaining 3-3 regions for each, keeping North-Central, instead of Central for instance. These regions proposed use all the main cardinal points!

- It tried to make all the regions with the same state (6) and failed woefully with the South East. Each natural region as I proposed should create it's own states as it deems fit, although the units for political representation should remain as they are currently i.e creating 200 states in your region should not mean sending 600 clowns to the senate!

- It does not recognize that some peoples would fall out of their natural cultural environment in these zones, thereby making compromise more difficult e.g Yoruba in Kwara trying to be PDP Chairman while the President is Yoruba. Of course, he was manipulated out. Anioma? South East? South South? Well,

For me the regions should be highly autonomous and federal. A complete split should be avoided as hostile neighbors may come out of it (if we are not there already!). However, if the regions are strongly autonomous, the central government has to be quite strong as well to avoid total fragmentation. That was why I proposed Lagos, PH, Kaduna and Abuja to be run by the Federal Government,

nice write up and matured conversation. this is the little fire stick that can engulf the MB area. are your views in a facebook group? did like to LIKE to join

Indeed. Organize on fbook. This thread should also be frontpaged.

@poster
Good job, I'm happy anytime I learn something new. I'm very happy with your work.

ndu_chucks:

hehehe, biafrans will try to claim Kogi without being challenged. Thanks to people like karfe, that claim will be invalidated.

Naijaking, Happy New Year, I didn't know that you are a closet expansionist.

Dan iska! Sanu d'iki, Yaya gida, yaya yara, yaya mata?
Happy New year to you too. I thought we've lost your a.s, s to Boko Haram
Hopefully, you can listen and learn from people like Karfe this year.

yes front page so that arewa boys will give a yea or nay to this great topic. if there is a way tweet etc links can be pasted here so that we can paste it on social media.
i appreciate all other regional contributions towards the middle belt course.

DanKan0:

Leave these guys on the Internet. Half of them never been to Arewa to properly research. Then same guys want to wonder why thier brothers love living in Arewa more than their own land

Btw All the Sharia states plus North Adamawa, North Taraba = Arewa

rest of the states can decide to form middle belt or join odua or Biafra.

lol, which middle belter loves living in Arewa? If anything, it's the other way round. Great job Karfe. Put it up on fb and/or tweeter. Long live the middle belt

the MB cause is a tricky one, like i said earlier history has proved that putting the east central middle belters with the others proved unworkable and the reasons are not far fetched,those in plateau,nassarawa,kaduna,bauchi,taraba,adamawa,niger etc up until recently(due to religious & ethnic crisis) had closer ties with the larger hausa peoples.the east central minorities always viewed them as part and parcel of hausas.the tivs actually called them "uke" the same word they used to refer to hausas. as a matter of fact prior to independence the struggle for autonomy by these minorities has been two folds,the eastern ones on one hand and the others on another hand! recall that awolowo's proposal for northern minorities had the north,north central and east central. geographically seperating the these groups from the larger north is almost impossible,the nupe man will always toe he line of the hausas same with the kanuri of lafia,the sayawa and other minorities in bauchi will always go with the hausas infact of the middle belt states only plateau,southern kaduna(due to recent instability in both places) and the east central peoples(tiv'idoma'igala) will toe a different line! so what you now have as MB is southern kaduna,plateau,benue and kogi!
now for southern kaduna and plateau not because of historical reasons but recent experiences will more than anything want to be part of this region but will be geographically restrained! this leaves you with kogi and benue who are different culturally & traditionally,have the numbers and with no influence from the larger northern region including the other northern minorities. this is your middle belt!

@ DRANOEL,

So what do you propose?

Thanks, guys. I hope we will see more views.

@karfe and edoyad,if i as a minority and a muslim is trapped in a berom or southern kaduna zone in the eventuality of crisis against the hausas or fulanis,what is my faith?
   I know why am asking,even from your analysis you try to dodge the religious inclination.Which is critical and fundemental.Today if the Hausas were christians i know you would have added them into the MB zone through alot of PR and historical contact you've had before.My take is simple.If not anything,The division would most likely be along religious lines.The Yorubas in Kwara and Kogi most likely will go SW.Even at that you will still have muslims and christians falling into the folds.With minorities and majorities remaining.SO your solution is more of an agenda to creat a christian dominated zone and a muslim dominated zone.Today a berom will actual kill on site a muslim fellow from his own tribe.A southern Kaduna mob would gladly kill kinsmen over faith even while they claim it is fighting a tribe(domanant hausa or fulani).
   I also feel karfe that your arrangement is not workable.Becuase then you will have hjopes of Hausa zones within and skip areas to isolate christian areas.How would you do that?You are trying to make that happen but lack the will.If i may ask Karfe and Edoyad are you muslims?I can guess you are not.That is why you are bitter and would ally with anyone outside to destroy another people.Beyond that you know the christian zone is difficult to implement or define.As much the Muslim.So to pull more people along just to have a big zone is the use of minorities.Beyond that your likes are doing this out of the hate for muslims in the zone withou doubt and you wish they never existed just like the berom and southern Kaduna fellows feel.Always bringing the back-lash.
    That aside before now in southern Borno we inter marry with ease and hardly care about faith and remain liberal.But with the crisis in Jos persisting it has become soemthing of concern.Today my mum is christian,dad muslim,Uncles and aunties that are from both faith.Why are we doing this to ourselves.I remember bodies and victims of Jos crisis, taking kinsmen from my place over religion.I felt sad over it regardless of b elief.I lost a tribes man and relative who is a muslim in Jos and many even christians.So were they killed by the Hausas?By the Berom youths!A minority.So i know it is religion that defines my relationship with him or her!!Why can't we be as the Yorubas when it comes to religion and America when it comes to diversity.
   When obasanjo declared state of emergrncy in Jos during dariye people said why?Obsanjo said this tension would spread to other mixed population in the North east and we laughed.Today it is true,becuase after a prolong crisis Gombe,Borno,Taraba,Adamawa and Bauchi have being destroyed. and our liberal stance has beign thrown awasy by sentiments and lack of trust.This struggle for supremecy will destroy us all.Yet we will still lose.
    Honestly why not sit and dialogue with the affected folks.Why not call the affected to a group or call the Hausas and fulani or who ever to a table to demand what is rightfully yours and see a way out of it.Where we remain side by side like we are suppose to.Than propagate all this devisive agenda for mere supremecy or antagonising The Hausas or Fulanis.At the end,if your plan works they will be in our midst and share our borders.The trade and interaction will still later build another relations and another group with your propsed far north and MB will now become antagonised in this areas too.
    My take on all this, is that MB movement have evolved a fanatic and extremist breed of christians similar in extremism to Muslim folds of the Hausa and fulani largely.If this is the biting issue, lets table it in a close room and knock ourselves until answers and workable positions are reached.Your views go beyond Minority rights or Religion and you know it.
   You can't deny the fact that the so called MB has not benefitted from the North.They have led and have held political offices worth something in this country and gotten the support of the northern part they so despise today.Today even the FG projects put in past by the northern leadership has not discriminated against MB.Check the north central and the far north then come and talk.Why ?were they foolish or did they feel the relationship?You have presented a good number of persons in power over my tribe and today we are not burning anything.Today plateau people boost of ex-public FGN key holders than any state in the north yet they cry marginalisation.
So tell me what are we fighting?Supremecy or tribalism or fanatism which we are all one and same in terms of promoting same.I don't buy your idea and alot of people too.You only confuse us and throw us in to panic and mistrust.
 I am for geninue dialogue because i cannot have my mother in a different zone and will definately protect her and my kinsmen if the chips are down.So where do we belong?Dialogue and call the guilty parties to a table to iron out issues.Demand that and ask for it until it happens than start another inter tribal war.For me its religious now than tribal.Together we are stronger and it is workable.People have done it,the yorubas have and it works.
Don't mind the Igbos there no different from the Hausas.They are also a Majority.There views is inclined largely towards the christian ideology as such there quest to divide us along same.The Yorubas, you can see they want Kwara because of tribe.So we know tribe and religion?

@karfe

they are certain tribes because of their small numbers have to just make due with the dominant larger ones. we can't all have states or regions simply because we are different from the next man. southern kaduna,plateau,nasarawa,taraba can all tag along'the difference btw these people is not much (including facial features) and they share a common boundary, niger can be incorporated with the larger north,benue,kogi,a small part of taraba,the tiv speaking part of cross rivers(bachave) can be grouped together. the remaining smaller tribes can remain with the north.

The key apologist in supporters of such divsion are the plateau excluding wase,kanam,some part of mangu,some part Jos north etc,Southern Kaduna christian dominated areas,Benue,some parts of Taraba,Some parts of adamawa (bachama eg) and some parts of Kogi.If you look closely all this folks act based on religion.such that christianity.others exist but have not reached that extremist view.

@ Flipside

Men, you really flipped!!

Okay, having seen my proposal and based on your experience and background, what would be a workable arrangement you can propose?

I am not the Federal Govt, and enforced roles and constitutions have never really been of much use to us. So I am not enforcing anything. But it is our responsibility as citizens to push forward ideas that would eventually benefit everyone. My education tells me to simplify issues at the start, and then delve into the rigorous analysis of separate parts

What I am gathering is that your parents are both from Southern Borno, Dad is Muslim and Mum is Christian. If you see what I wrote, I am not in the best position to conclude which side they should be. I based my conclusions on places I have lived and persons I have met, and of course literature I have read, which is perhaps not always accurate.

My interest is to see a workable federation based on healthy political units, hence my proposals. I am really not concerned about the religion of others as long as one's religion is able to allow other people to be who they want to be. If you feel Nigeria's political arrangement should be left the way it is, just say so. Although I would strongly disagree with you. Live and let live, bro, 

@flipside37

in the nigeria and the world of today you can't remove politics from religion especially when tolerance is no longer there like northern nigeria!

southern kaduna,plateau,nasarawa,taraba can all tag along'the difference btw these people is not much (including facial features) and they share a common boundary, niger can be incorporated with the larger north,benue,kogi,a small part of taraba,the tiv speaking part of cross rivers(bachave) can be grouped together. the remaining smaller tribes can remain with the north

I now understand you better. There is some kind of separation from the HFK (Arewa) in your proposal, but you reduced the MB drastically. Methinks the best option for the areas I listed is for some kind of UN referendum to allow the peoples there to chose between HFK and MB

By the way, you really understand the geography of your country. I wish there would be more like you in Nigeria. Funny though, the guy who wrote the article on the first page is called LEONARD

@karfe

not the same leonard.
i didn't reduce the MB, i only stated whats visible. everywhere in the world you find smaller groups in the midst of larger ones. as for the small minority tribes in the core north you can't call them MB simply because they are christians.infact like earlier stated if they should be a separation then it should be the east central MB(igala,tiv,idoma)! the other category i.e s/kaduna,plateau,nasarawa etc could be separated simply based on recent religious instability not affirnity!