Integrate, modernise all 858 rural communities in FCT — Natives
The natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the umbrella of the Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) have called on the federal government to integrate them into system. President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji, stated this during the association’s sensitisation tour to Shere chiefdom in Bwari Area Council of the FCT on Saturday. He […]
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The natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the umbrella of the Original Inhabitants Development Association (OIDA) have called on the federal government to integrate them into system.
President of OIDA, Pastor Danladi Jeji, stated this during the association’s sensitisation tour to Shere chiefdom in Bwari Area Council of the FCT on Saturday.
He urged the government to modernise the 858 rural communities in the territory so that the natives would be like other Nigerians.
He said the continuing ‘marginalisation’ of the natives for over 33 years and refusing to fully implement Section 303 of the 1999 Constitution, was a clear denial of the natives’ human rights in a democratic nation, that is the giant of Africa.
He also said the FCT land ownership must be jointly administered between government and original inhabitants.
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He said, “We must state clearly that OIDA stands for unity of Nigeria. However, that unity is situated in the belief that we can, as a nation, correct the systemic grievances that have stunted the growth of the country through injustice to FCT original inhabitants.”
He noted that failure of the federal government to resettle, relocate and compensate the natives at the initial cost of N2.8 billion in 1978 had led to several policy summersaults.
He said there was an urgent need for the National Assembly to fully recognise FCT as a state in line with the Section 303 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Jeji stressed the need for the FCT to have a second-tier system of government, saying he wondered how the president can be the governor of FCT and yet appoint someone to discharge the responsibility of a minister, not that of a governor.
“How do you assign huge powers to the National Assembly to serve as the House of Assembly of the FCT natives and residents when the national legislature is saddled with so many national issues to the extent that it hardly has time to legislate on FCT issues. Moreover, why should a national parliament legislate on municipal issues,” he asked.
He said OIDA believes that FCT is a state, in accordance with court rulings, adding that the natives will continue to canvass for a democratically elected governor of the FCT.
“And we also want the National Assembly to hands off its legislative duties to an FCT House of Assembly,” he added.
The natives also demanded the creation of an Abuja Original Inhabitants Development Commission (AOIDC), which he said will cater for specific issues of land compensation, relocation and resettlement of their people in areas where land is needed for national or other public uses, in order to reduce constant clashes and hostilities between them, city authorities and private developers.