Indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have condemned the description of Abuja as “No Man’s Land”, saying they had not bequeathed the ownership of their ancestral land to anyone.
They also said the fact that the federal capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja has not in any way given their ancestral right to the territory away, urging people describing the territory as a ‘no man’s land’ to desist.
They regretted that the relocation of the federal capital to Abuja has led to the loss of their lands, political entitlements and many other rights, adding that it was time Abuja was accorded a state status so that the indigenes can regain some political entitlements lost due to its current status.
The executive director of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organization (AOIYEO), Commandant Isaac David, while speaking during the first quarter townhall meeting of indigenes in Kuje area council, said in the second quarter of the year, an FCT stakeholders assembly would be launched.
David lamented that massive lands belonging to the indigenes had been confiscated by federal authorities and sold to buyers who built malls and plazas on them, while the indigenes are pushed to the hinterland.
“We have sat down at our level and we came up with a very good strategic platform that will give the window and the room to our stakeholders in the FCT to speak on why the government has the power to choose either to work with the indigenous people of FCT or not.
“FCT Stakeholders Assembly will nominate a credible stakeholder that you feel is powerful and credible and doable to assume that office as a chairman of FCT Stakeholders Assembly where the Minister of FCT may speak or any decision taken by the administration, the government will think twice knowing there are people, there are speakers in the land,” he said.
Senior special assistant on special duties to the Minister of FCT, Hajiya Farida Suleiman, also lamented the alleged unfair treatment of the FCT natives.
“We have been grossly marginalised, abused, and our human rights have been tampered with. We do not have absolute representation for our people in the National Assembly, we do not even have a state assembly because we are not a state. This breaks my heart daily,” she said.
