 Welcome back to the breakfast on Plus TV Africa. Now between September 14th and September 21st, some Nigerians will be going over to the United Nations headquarters in New York and that to protest. Now why exactly are they protesting? They say they're coming together to demand for the abolition of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria and for a determination of a referendum in Nigeria. They're basically saying that they're coming together with other minority groups in Nigeria to make sure that their voices are heard and to speak of this we've invited the spokesmen of that group, Ninas, Mr Maxwell Adilay. Good morning Mr Adilay. Thanks for joining us. Good morning. I want you to tell us a bit about this group. We know that you have constituted and what exactly is the aim regarding this planned protest in September? Okay, let me quickly correct you. The Nigerian Indigenous Alliance for Sceptic Domination in us is not a new group. It's a product of 21 years, so let that be quickly noted. I will not be, we will not be the body of strategies in public. And so the strategies we have designed for the, towards the successful, towards the actualization of our plans at the opposite front of the United Nations General Assembly in September is, we have to accept. However, the objectives of the one-minute march is to let the world know what is happening in Nigeria, to protest for the abolition of the 1999 constitution which we have successfully exposed to be a fraud against the people of the southern and middle berth of Nigeria and to demand a referendum so that the people can decide on their sovereignty. Those who want Yoruba Nation will decide. Those who want Biafra Nation will decide. Those who want to say, who want Nigeria will decide. Those who want resolution will decide and the majority will carry the goods. So that is the essence of the power to, the power belongs to the people and the people are the makers of government. So the people should be allowed to decide. And this is not a big thing, isn't a big deal. It's what the people, our Founding Fathers rely on this same right of self-determination to fight for the independence of Nigeria from the British colonial master. It's a right, it's an unable right, which we want the whole world to prevail on the Nigeria Government to grant the people of Nigeria. So what we want to do is that we want to, we are working towards taking part of our sovereignty. All right, Mr. Adelaide, I want you to speak on, you know, it seems like a certain part of the country is excluded from this conversation. You've mentioned southern and middle-belt, you know, you know, in your speech. Do you, does your group represent just, you know, the southern, middle-belt and southeast? Or does it represent every person who? It's an umbrella body for the agreed Nigerians. Most of us would believe that. What about the north, what about, what about the Arewa part of the country? Don't you put them in, don't you give them also a place to be aggrieved? No, no, no. The, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the umbrella body for, for, for, for the people of the southwest, southeast, south and middle-belt part of the region. Those, that, that, that's what NINAS stands for. Yeah, but, but it's, the name NINAS is, it means Nigerian Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination. So why is it just for those parts of the country like you've mentioned? The last two words, the last, the last compound word, self-determination. Yeah. It is a group from the southwest, south, south, south and middle-belt that agitated for self-determination. Our brothers and sisters from the outer parts said they are okay, the sit-off world should remain. So it's not, it's not an organization for everyone. It's an organization for people that want self-determination. It's not for everyone. Call to me again. It's an umbrella body for people that want self-determination. So the people from other parts, we should say we, we should, why should we, why are we not considering, are not demanding for self-determination. They seem to be okay with the situation of things and the one the center calls remain. So it is, we put from the south, southwest, Yoruba, part of Nigeria, who are now clamoring for an independent Yoruba nation. The people from the, the south is, and part, and partially south, south too are clamoring for their free nation. There's also something called the Arewa. Who are, who are totally adrift with the way they have been treated. They have people having kids, slaughtered like cows. And you had more happening last weekend than just, you had everything. So the people in, in Afakatui, I mean, people from Benio State, people from Plattus State, from Nassarawa State, who do not, who can no longer go to their farms. They are the people that we are talking about. Okay. There is those, of course, the, I believe there's also the Arewa Republic, who also seek self-determination. I don't know if you're aware of that. But also share with us, you know, why the United Nations General Assembly. Why is that the direction that you, Nenas has chosen to take? You know, if you, if you look at the independence of South Sudan, you, you realize that it was the United Nations who, who conducted, or let me say, supervised the freedom that led to the amalgamation of South Sudan. And to put me, we hope that, you know, you have a better network. So you can, of course, continue this conversation. We're speaking this morning with Maxwell Adele from Nenas. It stands for Nigerian-Indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self-Determination, who have spoken of a planned protest at the United Nations General Assembly in September. And of course, their protest is to speak with regard, so then, you know, call for self-determination and the end of the 1999 Constitution, which according to him, as he has said, is a, is a fraud. Um, yes, I like that you mentioned that because they're, they're actually cessationist agitations in every part of the country. It's just that the conversations around Biafra Republic has been so loud and so forceful that it seems like it's only, you know, the Southwest. There, the Aroha Republic conversations have been coming up, you know, we've been hearing about that. So we need to clarify that. Cessationist agitations are not just for the Odu Dua Republic, or for, or for peoples. Well, I think like he said, like he said, you know, I think he's also pointed out that it's just for those who are seeking, you know, self-determination. And, you know, that's the reason I kept throwing that question back at him. You know, if, if there is a group from the North who also wants, you know, to self-determine exactly, why would you open your doors for them also? Hopefully we will be able to reconnect with Maxwell at Delayer, you know, and get some clarity on some of these questions, you know, and what would likely happen in September. Mr. Delayer, can you hear us? Okay, great. All right. So, so the next that I want to speak of is who do you feel Nina's represents? Do you have, you know, concerns that there's also a large population of Nigerians who aren't necessarily interested in self-determination? Thank you, Wollingame. I am very sure that you, you, you followed. In fact, I am aware you followed because your reporters always cover our protests and rallies, possibly demonstrations in the Europe, in southwest part of Nigeria. So, I'm sure you, your, your report, the report that was at Ushobu, your reporter also cover the running and rigging of Kure. And even the one that was brought by the Nigerian police in Nicos. I'm sure your reporter was present. So, you see that we are not just speaking for ourselves. We represent the people we speak for the people. This is not a political rally where people are paid to attend. It's not the political rally where people are paid to wear t-shirts. This is a movement of the people. This is a movement that people are donating their hard-earned money to funds to support. This one has no political agenda. It has no selfish agenda. It is a movement of the people, being led by the people and being pushed by the people. It is a movement for the people to take back their sovereignty from Uaikattis. It is a movement for the people to get capital from this. Of the unfortunate people as they have been and needed. People have slaughtered, like cow. You don't have rights to live where people don't. This has been transmitted and turned to a privilege. That is what we represent. Who would you say has hijacked, like you've mentioned, the Nigerian nation? Look at the constitution of Nigeria. Look at the constitution of Nigeria. It was said we the people. Who are the people that are on the constitution? Where was it? Did you ever witness a town or meeting where the constitution of Nigeria was a staple before the Uaikattis? So it is a fraud against the people. And now we are saying no, and that is enough. All right, now let's also get you to speak on. Mr Adelaide, I want you to also speak on the leaders of NENAS. Who are the people who are the forefront of this movement? Can you share a little bit about them? Like I told you, NENAS is a collaborative platform. NENAS is a collaborative platform. It is an umbrella body of the people from the south, south, south-west and middle-west. So I didn't use one north central. So as we can say, middle-west. Now, in the Yoruba Nation, in the Yoruba Nation, is Emeritus Professor Banjia Ketoye, who is also the co-chairman of NENAS. Professor Banjia Ketoye, you all know him. He is a renowned historian and a member of the Senate in the Second Republic, that is 1973. Then North, in the middle-west, we have Professor Yusuf Oturaki, is the leader, coordinated in the middle-west region. Then in the south-east and south-south, we have a bi-saturn in Nadi, who is represented in Luan Nenja Congress. Luan Nenja Congress is a platform, coordinated in the south-south and south-east, under NENAS. Then the former military vice president of Nigeria, Kubitwe Kuei, is there. Then the constitutional force in Yoruba, which formerly batted NENAS in December 2020, was signed by 127 people. Including Paris's chief, Nia Ongodou, the immediate past president-general of Ohani Indigo. So NENAS is not just, in the south-west, we have Professor Emeritus, Professor Adeku Kuei. It's a signatory. So it's not just a platform of people without means. It's not a platform of people without character, or without honor, or without integrity. It's a dimension of people and people's people. All right. Mr. Adelaide, I need to ask you details about this planned protest. Because in the press release that you put out, you said that it's going to be a one million man match. Are these Nigerians that are already in DAS for Nigerians that are already in New York, that are coming out for the protest, or what's the plan for the mobilization of these people that you say are going to be up to a million protestant opposite the United Nations General Assembly in New York? Okay. Thank you very much. Like I said, I'm not going to be stupid of me telling you our strategies on it. And however, mobilization has begun, and I can assure you that the protest is a, it's a, we don't want to remove the word protest. It's a match. It's a match in front of the United Nations General Assembly. I mean, it's going to last for 10 days. It's going to last for 10 days. The Igbo people, the outside people, I'm sorry, the Igbo people, the British people, the Niger people, the NGO people, the Yoruba people, the Yoruba people, the Gala people. Miss Adelaide, I just simply need to know how Nina's plan to coordinate a million people. That's why I need to find out. Are there people- I'm not going to tell you, I'm not going to tell you our strategies. I'm not going to reveal our strategies. It's not a strategy. It's at these Nigerians in diaspora, do you plan to fly people who support your movement from Nigeria to the U.S.? What is the plan? It's not necessarily about strategy. Regarding the coordination of, I mean, saying a million, that's quite a lofty amount. So what exactly is the plan to get a million people to the United Nations General Assembly to protest in September? You see, you see, asking me a lot about strategies. Do we want to do, it's part of this strategy. So I'm not going to talk about that, but you just push out and so on. Miss Adelaide, if there is people from Northern Nigeria who believe that they also seek self-determination, who believe that they also agree with the cause of Nina's, are they welcome to join? Everyone, everyone will believe really struggle for self-determination. Peaceful self-determination, really are not party to violence, disturbance of public peace, kind, I mean, we are not, we are not involved in that. Peaceful self-determination. If you see anyone who is constituting new signs of violence or disease and claim to be a member of Nina's, or a member of an affluent group of Nina's, that person is not one of us. All right, another thing that I want to ask. This is the first thing that I mean to report. Another thing that I want to ask, I've seen a response from the middle belt forum, the publicity secretary, Dogo Isua, saying that they are not aware of any planned protest that involves the middle belt forum. How do you respond to that? And also to quickly mention Nia Wodu, who is a former president of Ernest and Igbo. There's a new president of Ernest and Igbo, Professor Giorgio Biazzo. Do you think that they are speaking the same language here? Does Professor Biazzo also agree that Ernest is a part of Nina's and a part of this ideology? And also what's your response to Dogo Isua, the publicity secretary of the middle belt forum, who says they're not aware of any of these calls for a protest? Thank you very much. Firstly, like I mentioned earlier, the leader of the middle belt, he didn't, in the underneath, Professor Yusuf Otoraki, not middle belt forum. Even though the current president of middle belt forum was a signature to our CFL, to our positional force might talk, but in the team platform for middle belt, underneath it's not middle belt forum. So let that clear the statement. No, please say that again. Please, can you repeat that? Sorry, Mr Adelaide, can you repeat that? I said the continuity platform, the continuity platform for middle belt, it's not middle belt forum. It is not middle belt forum. And the leader of the middle belt under Nina, this Professor Yusuf Otoraki, so now the group you are quoting. So I guess it's a misrepresentation. And if you were reading Tribun yesterday, middle belt forum indicated interest to participate. Go ahead, read. The middle belt forum already indicated interest to participate in the one-matter match, read Tribun yesterday. It was in the front page of Tribun Yusuf Ayazide. Okay. To as per her strategy, The In the south south and southeast, for this march, it is by Zatouni Nadi, who is the Secretary-General of Minas. All right, Mr Adelaia. So I've known for a couple of years to be honest, to review the Fata of Pesta. Okay, Mr Adelaia, we don't know if we still have you there, the line seems frozen, but I need to ask him questions about, you know, the motive behind the venue, the selection of the venue of this protest. Because you know that it's going to be the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. There will be, you know, of course, world leaders will be meeting. So why exactly have they chosen that platform? And what did they hope to achieve? No, I need to hear what exactly they hope to achieve this. Is it that they are going to force the hands of these world powers to ask Nigeria to, or impose on Nigeria a decision for them to go ahead and abolish their constitution? Would any other country, or does any other country have the right to ask another country, another sovereign country to abolish their constitution? Does any other country have the right to impose a decision for them to, you know, put a referendum in there? So I want to know, you know, what exactly is the plan for the United Nations General Assembly? Are they planning for them to now impose sanctions on Nigeria if they don't abolish their constitution? So we need to find out from, like, what they think, we need to get in their minds and find out exactly what exactly they're thinking that motivated this action. Mr. Adelaia, do we still have you? Alright, we'll try and see how we can reconnect again. You can support Sudan initially, you know, and using that as an example. So maybe that's also... Okay, Mr. Adelaia, I was trying to find out from you why Nina has chosen the venue of New York, opposite the United Nations General Assembly in September, you know, for this match. Why exactly the United Nations General Assembly? And also, what do you hope to achieve? What do you hope that, you know, the world powers present at that assembly might help Nina's achieve? As a media organization, how will you feel if you send your cameraman to cover an event and if it means the most important part of the event? So Nina's is just... We want to use the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly where all presidents of the world, all leaders of the world, capitals of windows, everyone who be present to showcase our grievances to the world so that they can prevent on us and safeguard and help us to safeguard our right to serve the damnation. We do not have guns, we do not have ammunitions, we do not have guns, we do not have missiles. The only way up is our price to protest, price to peaceful assembly. How effective do you think this might be? Do you think the United Nations General Assembly will be able to force Nigeria's hand or force the Nigerian government's hand into... It's an ammunication of the people. The people, the people, they are the ultimate in the democracy. The people are the government. So when they see the people, when they see the crowd, they will know. Just wait and see. When they see the crowd, they go people. The middle-back people, the Yoruba people, the Yopi people. When they see them, there are thousands coming from all over the world. So for the purpose of this rally, you will be amazed. Just watch out. Just watch out. I don't want to talk too much on this issue. Just watch out. All right. And then also, is there other ways that NINAS has planned to achieve its goal internally here in Nigeria without having to go all the way to New York? Okay. If you can do your research, it should declare the position and force my job. In December 2020, December 16, 2020, we gave the government of Nigeria 120 days to start the process of drafting a new position for Nigeria. After the 120 days, after the 90 days, we pressed labor now. And your reporter was there. I saw your reporter there. Where we did the Nigerian government and gave the states in the south and middle-back regions of Nigeria 120 days to also make their own moves towards ensuring that Nigeria has a people's constitution. The 120 days will expire today, today, 16 August. And tomorrow, we shall be having a workplace conference to address this issue and now start active mobilization of the people of the south and middle-back on the needs for them to start preparing for a referendum. It's meant to be for our towns, towns, villages, cities, cities in the entire south, southern Nigeria and the middle-back. Referendum now, referendum now. We want to go via referendum, not via violence. So looking at this call for a referendum, do you think that's the solution to the challenges we have in the country? If the evils go their separate ways, the houses go theirs, the urbans go their separate ways. Do you think that's the solution to the problem? Is it self-determination that would solve all the challenges and make them disappear? Let me tell you again, the people never even decided that they want to be Nigerians. We never, there was no time our family fathers said they were Nigerians. It was the British government who managed us together. So now we are saying, let the people decide. The referendum we showed, if the majority said they want Nigeria, no qualms. If the majority said, let the majority decide. It is only a government that is made up of the people that have the legacy to lead the people. Not an imposed government like we currently have. Okay, so Mr. Adelaia, do you think that the administration of President Muhammad Buhari will grant the request of Nenas for a referendum and an abolition of the constitution? With all due respect, either forge or manufacture the Buhari-led administration is a product of the people. And like I said again, the people are the husband in the democracy. So all over the world, no leader has ever triumphed against the collective will of the people. Because the ammunitions put together, they have never triumphed against the collective will of the people. The people are the merchants in the democracy. So I am very sure President Buhari will bow to the collective will and the wishes of the people of the South and Middle-Beth of Nigeria as my position is my view. The people who decide, there is no leader that will say he does not want people to break to decide. The people demand to conquist it. When some people petition I like, that they work for the, that they want that, that they don't deny it to be recalled from the ZDF. The people decide that. That is what we call the referendum. The people decide that. All right, finally, Mr. Adelaide, if you can do this in 30 seconds so we can wrap this conversation up. You know, I would like that you clarify how much support you believe that NENAS has, because even the IPOB also has people who don't believe in their cause for self-determination. And pretty much the same with every other group in Nigeria today that is seeking self-determination. There are still people from the Southeast and from the Middle-Beth and from the South-South who, you know, don't agree or don't feel that they are a part of, you know, this call for self-determination. Do you think that NENAS has that level of support across Nigeria today? One of the essential ingredients that characterizes a democratic group is that the majority decides the minority are the same. So there is no way everyone can speak with one voice. We don't be deceiving ourselves. So the majority we have they are same. The majority we have they are way. And the minority we have they are same. Let's hear today the area of Nogaka for you in Ubaland. Ibadane Adam endorses match, match. And you know what that means. You know what that means. So more people will start coming out to endorse a match. You just watch out and see. This is the beginning. You just watch out and see. Ibadane Adam has spoken. You just watch out. Alright. It's meant to be a network making. It's meant to be a story. It's meant to be a story. You will see. Alright Mr. Adulia, thank you very much for your time. Thank you for speaking with us. Thank you. We will of course set up more conversations with you as time passes. And of course too you know the UN General Assembly kicks off in September. Thanks for your time this morning. It's a playoff. Alright. Stay with us. We'll take a short break. When we come back we are going to be looking you know outside Nigeria to see the situation in Afghanistan and what lessons must be learned in our next conversation here on The Breakfast. Stay with us.