Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have faulted claims that almost all natives have been compensated by the federal government, and that they do not deserve any other reward like FCT minister portfolio from the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The natives made this known in a letter signed by Barr. Dara Zhidu of Lamilo Chambers titled, “Open Letter to Mr. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju on Ignorant Assertions Against FCT Natives,” dated August 14, 2023, and sent to CAN, Abuja Renewed Hope Ambassadors (ARHA), Mandate FCT, Abuja Indigenous Liberation Movement, AOIYEO, Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja, and Macarthur Foundation among other groups.
The natives lamented that they watched and listened to the discussion of Mr Kolade-Otitoju on ministerial appointment of FCT native during TVC News Journalist Hangout on Thursday, morning August 10, 2023, where he stated that there are no indigenes of Abuja in FCT.
“He also said that the people who were natives of FCT were compensated and they bought lands and built houses again within the FCT. That the FCT natives do not deserve to be appointed as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and also that FCT natives as humans are never satisfied.
“First, I want to take you way back to 1976 when FCT was moved from Lagos to Abuja, when Gen. Murtala Muhammed broadcasted on February 3, 1976, and declare that there was going to be a new capital called FCT and that the original inhabitants of that area will be compensated and resettled outside of the territory at government expense.
“So, that the place will become a symbol of Nigeria unity, oneness and it will belong to everybody. It was based on this foundational statement and principle that FCT has grown and eventually, the 1979 constitution provided for it and subsequently the 1999 constitution.
“Now the problem is that there is a misrepresentation of facts and history. The reality is that the compensation due to FCT natives has still not been paid. I challenge Mr. Babajide to provide me with your evidence of payment of compensation. What is correct about history is that barely 3 to 5 percent of FCT was compensated, which was not even adequate,” he said.
Zhidu further explained that over 90 percent of FCT natives were not compensated, explaining that the FCT was carved out from former states of Niger, Kwara and Plateau which are now Nasarawa and Kogi states, adding that 80 percent land mass came from Niger State and barely 1 percent came from the then Kwara State now Kogi State.
“Then unfortunately, as history has shown, instead of subsequent governments keeping faith with the founders, Murtala and others, by actually resettling the natives, what has now happened is that subsequent governments have failed to compensate and resettle the indigenes.
“So, only barely 5 percent of indigenes were resettled particularly the inhabitants of Wuse which was the largest community then that was moved to now Sabon-Wuse in Tafa local government of Niger State along Abuja-Kaduna express.
“They are about the only people that were resettled outside of the FCT. But in the case of Maitama, Asokoro, Kukwaba, and so on, they were resettled at Kubwa resettlement village within the FCT. So, the government violated its resettlement plan which is a very big breach of trust.
“What is more fundamental and monumental about the whole thing is that in 1978 while Obasanjo was head of state, they commissioned a demographic exercise by the then Department of Geography, University of Ibadan to come and survey FCT Abuja and the outcome of that report stated clearly that there were over 400,000 indigenous inhabitants in the FCT,” he said.
According to the natives, for anyone to say there are no indigenes in FCT is not true, adding that the then military government enacted Land Use Decree of 1976 that vested all lands in the FCT in the hands of the federal government absolutely without first paying compensation.
“That section was smuggled into the 1979 constitution as Section 256 (1) of the 1979 constitution and it was further smuggled into the 1999 constitution as Section 297 (2) of the 1999 constitution in a modified version.
“In a sane society and under the Law, principle of natural justice, equity, and good conscience, the government is expected to pay compensation to its citizens on property for overriding public interest before title can pass.
“Payment of compensation is a condition precedent for the transfer of title. That condition has still not been met to date but our lands have been forcefully taken over by the government and have been allocated equally to private company developers,” the letter stated.
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