BEVERLY JOLThe North Central People’s Forum (NCPF) has disowned agitators for a Mid-West Republic while affirming its commitment to one indivisible Nigeria.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday, Secretary-General of NCPF, Alh. Khaleel Bolaji, said that: “It is pertinent to inform Nigerians and the entire world that the NCPF is not identifying and dissociates itself in totality with the recent publication in an online paper that ‘Middle Belt releases country’s flag, currency and coat of arms, names it Midwest Republic’.”
He added: “As you are aware, the NCPF is an association of the states in the North-Central Nigeria: Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa states, including FCT Abuja respectively.
“Therefore, there is no ethnicity or religious segregation in the association. Rather, the NCPF is united to have a structure to negotiate for political power just like Afenifere in the South-West, South-South People’s Assembly, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the South-East, among others.
“The NCPF acknowledges the concept of Middle-Belt as an association without a defined geopolitical boundary. It is no longer news that the country has six geopolitical zones in which the North Central is one and the People’s Forum stands for it.”
The NCPF scribe, while acknowledging the fact that the country was facing serious security challenges, however, said that the forum was irrevocably committed to one united Nigeria.
Bolaji added: “NCPF subscribes to one Nigeria as a valuable unit in the six geopolitical zones in the country.
“Finally, I am using this opportunity to distance the people of the North-Central zone from the said publication like the aforementioned one above that can cause threat to the unity and coexistence of Nigeria, especially during the prevailing security challenges in the country.”
