A coalition of non-governmental organizations, including the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Original Inhabitant groups, and other civil society organizations (CSOs), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to address long-standing marginalization of the Federal Capital Territory’s (FCT) Original Inhabitants by including them in his ministerial list.
The group issued a joint statement on Sunday, urging the President to rectify the historical wrongs committed against the indigenous people in the FCT.
This call came amid grievances over the alleged political exclusion and marginalization of the original inhabitants who surrendered their ancestral lands for the creation of the country’s capital, Abuja, in 1976.
“Decades-long injustices meted to the FCT Original Inhabitants include the failure to fulfill promises made by the Nigerian government in 1976 to relocate and adequately compensate them for their lands.
“47 years later, no Original Inhabitant of the FCT has held the position of Minister of the Federal Republic,” said Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of CHRICED.
The coalition argued that the original inhabitants have been reduced to spectators in the politics and administration of their own country, with their democratic rights being denied.
“When Nigerians in other states are voting for governors and members of their Houses of Assembly, the original inhabitants and other residents of the FCT are excluded,” said Ambassador Hannatu Aze Usman-Nga, Executive Director of the Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives.
The coalition expressed the belief that the inclusion of FCT Original Inhabitants in key governance structures, like the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the National Assembly, and the judiciary, would be an important first step in remedying these injustices.
According to the CSOs, it would also uphold their fundamental rights under Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
“Another denial of the original inhabitants’ participation in a key governance structure such as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) would be a continuation of the injustices they have endured for decades,” warned Chief Isaac David, President of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO).
The group looked forward to the release of President Tinubu’s ministerial list, hoping that it will mark a turning point in the treatment of the FCT’s original inhabitants by the Nigerian government.
The coalition further called for a “big and bold step” from the President to begin rectifying the historical wrongs committed against these indigenous people.
Other signatories to the joint statement include: Mr. Festus Yakubu, President of the Original Inhabitants With Disabilities Multipurpose Co-Operative Society FCT; Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, President of the Helpline Foundation for the Needy; Mrs. Faith Nwadishi, JP, Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA); Mrs. Maryamu Isah Barnabas, Director of the Mairo Women Foundation, Ushafa; Mr. Olusola Babalola, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness (CESDA); Mrs. Abiodun Essiet, Executive Director of the Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls; Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem, Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre (SERDEC); and Mr. Bassey Bassey, Executive Director of the Hipcity Innovation Hub Centre (HIPCITY).
[vanguard]