A consortium of non-governmental organizations, comprising the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Original Inhabitant groups, and other civil society organizations (CSOs), have called upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take action on the long-standing marginalization of the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the group urged the President to rectify the historical injustices suffered by the indigenous people in the FCT.
The call comes amidst growing grievances over the alleged political exclusion and marginalization of the original inhabitants who selflessly surrendered their ancestral lands for the establishment of the nation’s capital, Abuja, in 1976.
Highlighting the decades-long injustices faced by the FCT Original Inhabitants, including the unfulfilled promises made by the Nigerian government in 1976 to relocate and compensate them adequately for their lands, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director of CHRICED, emphasized that not a single Original Inhabitant has held the position of a Federal Minister in the Republic for the past 47 years.
The coalition contends that the original inhabitants have been relegated to mere spectators in the politics and administration of their own country, with their democratic rights being denied.
As Nigerians in other states exercise their voting rights for governors and members of their Houses of Assembly, the original inhabitants and other FCT residents find themselves excluded from these vital processes, asserted Ambassador Hannatu Aze Usman-Nga, Executive Director of the Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives.
The coalition firmly believes that the inclusion of FCT Original Inhabitants in key governance structures, such as the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the National Assembly, and the judiciary, would be a crucial first step in rectifying these historical injustices.
They argue that such inclusion would also uphold their fundamental rights under Section 42(1) of the 1999 Constitution.
Chief Isaac David, President of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO), warned that any further denial of the original inhabitants’ participation in vital governance structures, like the Federal Executive Council (FEC), would only perpetuate the injustices they have endured for decades.
The coalition now awaits the release of President Tinubu’s ministerial list, hopeful that it will mark a significant turning point in the treatment of the FCT’s original inhabitants by the Nigerian government.
In their appeal for a “big and bold step” from the President, the coalition seeks to redress 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).
