The grouse of Abuja original inhabitants

The reasons advanced for the choice of Abuja against other contending locations were presented in our earlier feature entitled “FCT – The Genesis of Its Creation I & II” dated 25th April and 2nd May 2007, respectively. Despite the hiccups involved in the Federal Capital City (FCC) development, the implementation of this project is a […]

The reasons advanced for the choice of Abuja against other contending locations were presented in our earlier feature entitled “FCT – The Genesis of Its Creation I & II” dated 25th April and 2nd May 2007, respectively. Despite the hiccups involved in the Federal Capital City (FCC) development, the implementation of this project is a giant feat by Nigeria, for the fact that many countries with similar aspirations could not achieve.
While this has gains for the corporate existence of our dear nation, it also has distasteful impact on the indigenous population who say they are marginalized in the implementation of the FCC plan. Recently, the National Assembly rejected the proposed Mayoralty System of Government for the FCT.
As a response to that decision, the Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja (OIDA) met and passed resolutions that other citizens could term ominous to the corporate existence of Nigeria. Some of the resolutions by OIDA termed “Kuje Declaration 2013” showed that FCT Original Inhabitants will no longer cooperate with the Nigerian State and its system that oppresses and continually renders them stateless, with second class citizen status. The group noted that section 297 of the 1999 constitution which vests all lands in the FCT on the Federal Government is “satanic” as there has never been prompt compensation or acquisition of their indigenous and customary lands by the Federal Government. They said unless the 1978 compensation of N2.8 billion with 37-year interest is paid, government cannot claim ownership of land in FCT.
The declaration ended with a warning to Nigerians residing in FCT to brace up for mass protests and civil movements against government that has refused to give voice to the FCT indigenous people through the years. This is in addition to preparations to institute legal actions against the Federal Government.          
Some of us believe that the indigenes of Abuja have cause to be disenchanted as it concerns their rights and privileges. The threat of no longer cooperating with the Federal Government is a challenge to the sovereignty of Nigeria, and I believe silence would not have been the answer up till now.
Before now, it is common knowledge that most of them took the transfer of the Federal Capital to their place as a fortune, rather than a curse. To be fair to them, it is necessary to qualify the indigene-ship with “originality” in order to separate between the original inhabitants and those that migrate from elsewhere in Nigeria, who could have dual indigene-ships.          
The genesis of this confusion is the description of the chosen land as virgin by the Justice Aguda Panel that recommended the creation of the new capital in Abuja. The panel arrived at that conclusion after resolving that all the original inhabitants shall be resettled outside the FCT to their parent states.
However, that recommendation was not implemented due to the huge expenses involved. The reason for recommending the resettlement is to prevent the rendering of citizens stateless. With the change of policy to retain these people within FCT, at least for those not given option to relocate, there is infringement on their fundamental human rights as citizens.
The Aguda Panel report paragraph 6.37 states that, “No ethnic group or people should be rendered “stateless” as a result of loosing their land to the Capital Territory”. A solution to this dilemma must be found, before it further escalates.