The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) indigenes have condemned the absence of an Abuja indigene’s name in the 42 ambassadorial-designate nominees list sent by President Muhammadu Buhari to the senate for confirmation.
The natives consisting of stakeholders and indigenous civil society organisations from across sections of the FCT in an emergency meeting wandered what offence the present administration committed to be marginalised and denied of rightful political positions.
Speaking on behalf of the natives at the briefing, Commandant Isaac David, President of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO) asked the federal government to come out with convincing reason why the FCT indigenes were omitted from the submitted list.
The natives questioned the rationale behind the endless desire by the Buhari led administration to relegate FCT natives to second class citizens in their own land, asking, “what have we done to Buhari to deserve all this distance presence from the government?
“The omission of FCT indigenes from the submitted list arouses the suspicion that it could have been left out due to its stance during the last election and for voting for the senator and two House of Assembly members belonging to the PDP.
“We did this because the government decided in its pettiness not to place a special priority to the plight of the FCT indigenes, who on daily basis languish in poverty, neglect and marginalisation.
“The holistic picture of this present administration has so far shown that the president has not come to terms that the FCT people contributed to votes for him to win in the last election.
“With what we are seeing presently, we may be forced to believe in the statement of President Buhari when he described residents of the FCT, as necessary evil for not voting for him during the February 23 presidential election.
“It follows therefore that bodies like the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) are to be regarded aS agency of a ‘state’ independent of the federal government. Section 299 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 has clear and unambiguous provisions to the effect that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is in law, a state.
“It is law that where provision of statute is clear and unambiguous only its natural meaning will suffice. There is a plethora of cases on these points. The appointments into political offices at national level are regulated by the 1999 constitution, section 14 and by the Federal Character Establishment Act of 1997.
“The Act requires that appointments into political and other offices should be given to candidates who are indigenous to the FCT and the states of Nigeria. Part 11 of the laws of the federation of Nigeria as amended in 2004 provides that, ‘no person shall lay claim to more than one state or to a state and the Federal Capital Territory
“The size and population of FCT is more than states such as Ebonyi, Bayelsa etc. Yet, they all have three senators each and more House of Representatives members,” they lamented.
OIAYEO president called on the FCT minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, to rise up to the challenge and fight for the state, being FCT, where he governs as the FCT minister.
