The Youth Wing of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has dismissed comments by a certain Middle Belt Conscience Guard (MBCG) against the well informed position of retired Lt Gen Theophilous Danjuma, saying members of the group were hirelings of anti- middle belt interests.
The group had criticised the former Minister of Defence, Lt Gen Danjuma (rtd) for saying were he to open up on the present affairs of the nation, Nigerians would find it impossible to sleep.
The former Chief of Army Staff had at launch of a book, ‘70 Years of Progressive Journalism: The story of the Nigerian Tribune’, called on citizens to rise and save the nation from the current hole it has found itself, stressing that only Nigerians can save Nigeria from its current woes.
Gen Danjuma was also quoted to have called on the South-west geo-political zone to stand up and defend the present democracy by coming against those who are committed to destroying the country.
But the leader of the MBCG, Prince Raymond Enero, had warned the General that he would be held liable if there is any breakdown of law, following his remarks at the University of Ibadan in Oyo state.
However, a statement signed by the MBF national youth leader, Emmanuel Zopmal, said the MBCG’s comments were not only mischievous but from a group ‘whose sole focus is engaging in open adversarial disposition against the interest of our people.’
“We the youth of the Middle Belt Region are in complete agreement with the erudite retired General over his comments on the present state of the Nigerian state. Without any form of equivocation, the nation’s present situation has become worrisome that not so many Nigerians are unaware of the threatening clouds of uncertainty hovering over the country’s skies.
“In the prevailing silence that is emboldening undemocratic forces to unleash venom of tyranny on the nation, Gen Danjuma’s comments should not have come at a better time than now to serve as warning to our nation’s leadership to nip the coming danger in the bud.
“The status of Gen Danjuma as an elder statesman in the protection of the Nigerian state cannot be diminished by an insignificant and unknown group like the MBCG whose actions have always portrayed the group as a fawning dog dedicated to the power that be.
“If indeed the MBCG is a group dedicated to protecting the interest of the Middle Belt Region, we are yet to verify such a claim beyond their previous press releases that focus at insulting and castigating revered middle belters”, the statement said.
Further, in the forum said: “The MBCG as it stands is a conglomeration of unverifiable selfish persons who have stumbled on financial gains in denigrating Middle Belt people by playing the Judas. They are not real characters, but black sheep who deploy the amorphous MBCG platform with no identifiable address for economic gains.
“We wish to tell Nigerians that we the youth of the Middle Belt are in support of General Danjuma’s comments in Ibadan”, he said adding that the best President Muhammadu Buhari may do is to accord adequate attention to the content of the remarks so that the threatening clouds of uncertainties hovering over our nation’s skies will fizzle away.
