By Dapo Akinrefon & Charles Kumolu

United Middle-Belt Youth Congress, UMYC, has demanded a separate identity for the people of the region to differentiate them from the Hausa-Fulani and Kanuri peoples of the far North.

Leading a delegation of executive officers of the congress on a courtesy call to Vanguard’s corporate office in Lagos, the group’s President, Mr. Abuka Onalo, said the people of the Middle-Belt were now remorseful of their roles in past actions of spearhea-ding Northern interests that did not benefit their people.

He particularly regretted the role of the Middle-Belt in the Nigerian civil war, saying the people of the region would not repeat the mistake.

He said: “We want the Middle-Belt people to be recognised and be referred to as Middle-Belt region. We want to be part of a new Nigeria where the Middle-Belt will be a federating unit.

“We likened our argument to the issue of true federalism. Since the South-South has been officially re-grouped as the Niger Delta region, we from the Middle-Belt should be grouped as the Middle-Belt region.

“We have never been subdued. We contributed in establishing the Federal Republic of Nigeria; we know what we suffered after the Civil War. There should be no reason why the nation cannot give us our own identity.”

In canvassing for identity, we are careful so that we do not destabilise what we helped in creating.”

illiad1:
yeye dey smell

na now day break

abokiys you are aboky you will forever be

abduljabbar4:


IFOB LOZER sighted

naijaboy756:
It is good when you know your true identity. Don't be like the cowards and the subtles always lurking around as the green snake in a green grass. They will soon be shown the real color of the north

naijaboy756:
what are you struggling to say?

onyowo:
Who cares? Am from the middle of Nigeria if u call me a notherner that's ur business it shows that u don't know the regions in ur country very well.....

Wukari:
middle belt is not the same with northern Nigeria, we share nothing in common, food, culture, music and all.

abduljabbar4:


This one that you are reffering to the Yorubas as cowards, have you forgotten how ojukwu dressed like a woman and fled the country when the heat was too much for him?

ahaz:
at least its better than a general knelling down before a mere major crying like a baby....he's also better than the one that hardly differentiates between ogogoro and otapiapia.

TonyeBarcanista:
Please Middle beltans, where and where makes up middle belt?

sameer1212:
Trash

Kyase:
I'm tiv and I'm a NORTHERNER

Rapzino:
I'm a Tabaran and I'm from the Middle Belt!!!