Buhari slammed over exclusion of FCT natives from ministerial list

The Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) has urged the National Assembly to strip off President Muhammadu Buhari’s status of the governor of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A statement signed by the President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji, which was issued to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said the president’s exclusion of the FCT natives […]

The Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) has urged the National Assembly to strip off President Muhammadu Buhari’s status of the governor of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

A statement signed by the President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji, which was issued to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, said the president’s exclusion of the FCT natives from the 43-man ministerial list was an act undeserving of someone who has the constitutional power of governor of the territory.

The group stressed that the continued exclusion of the people was a slight to their citizenship within the Nigerian nation.

“We find the non-inclusion of any FCT native on the 43-man ministerial list released by President Buhari as provocative. Are we not citizens of Nigeria? Why have we been continuously left out of having a representative in the federal executive council?” The natives questioned.

They added “If the list was extended from the usual 36 to 42 and now 43 ministerial nominees. Shouldn’t we have a slot? Why do some states have more than one or two slots?” Jeji further questioned in the statement.

He said the natives were solidly behind the lawmakers representing the FCT Senate Minority Whip, Senator Philip Aduda and the two House of Representatives Members, Micah Jiba and Alhaji Hassan Usman Sokodabo.

According to him, the natives have mandated the federal lawmakers, after series of meetings, to raise the issue of the exclusion of Abuja natives from the ministerial list on the floors of both the Senate and House of Representatives.

“We will no longer take lightly the continued marginalization of FCT natives in a territory hosting the capital city of Nigeria. Our lands have been taken forcefully from us without the federal government following proper constitutional provisions or the Land Use Act and now our dignity is being taken away from us as Nigerian citizens. We condemn this attitude by the Nigerian government and urge the international community to intervene in our current statelessness,” the FCT group said.