The people of the Middle Belt have expressed anger and disappointment
at the administration of President Jonathan, while also saying they
regret voting for him, during the 2011 general elections.
The representatives of the region say they have nothing to show for
their support for the President, while insisting that they would still
vote for him at the upcoming polls.
They expressed their feelings in a communiqué issued after a summit
of the Middle Belt Dialogue in Jos which had in attendance, delegates
from the Federal Capital Territory, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno,
Gombe, Kaduna, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba and
Yobe states.
The communiqué, which was signed by the facilitators of the summit –
Messrs Aminu Zang, Lanre Obafemi, Rima Shawulu and Mark Jacob, reads:
“There is general anger and disappointment in our communities against
the Jonathan-led Federal Government as a result of the sad reality that
despite the huge political investment by our people for the purpose of
electing him in 2011, there has been no commensurate political patronage
in terms of projects and appointments.”
“It is obvious that as a result of the huge political investment of
our communities in 2011, our communities have been exposed to
unimaginable genocide and consequent untold hardship, while governments
at the state and federal levels have appeared indifferent to the
suffering of our people.”
“As a result of the genocide, agriculture which has been the mainstay
of the Middle Belt and a major source of economic stability of our
people, has been disrupted thereby laying the foundation for food
insecurity in the country at large.”
