Retired Military, Paramilitary Officers Seek State Status For Abuja

Retired Military and Paramilitary officers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the auspices of FCT-Forum of Retired Military, Paramilitary Personnel (F-FRMPP) have called on the federal government to give the FCT the complete status of state like other 36 states of Nigeria.

The retired officers said that if that is done, it would make indigenes and residents of Abuja vote for their governor in the next general elections, like other Nigerians in the 36 states of the country.

This was contained in a communique reached by the retired military and paramilitary officers after an emergency meeting to foster solutions to the challenges of indigenes and residents of Abuja, who they believed have been marginalised for too long.

The communique which was jointly signed by the Forum chairman, Rtd. DIG Aliyu Pai and secretary, Rtd. Ac. Shazin Z. K., and read by the Public Relations Officer, Sc. Danjuma Tanko Dara, stated that apart of total neglect of their rural areas, they have observed that, Abuja has turned to refuge paradise for politicians who ordinarily should have developed their home communities, constituencies and states.

The forum also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for establishing the FCT Civil Service Commission (FCSC), which have given FCT workers opportunity to rise to the peak of their career by becoming permanent secretaries, saying that this is first step of actualising a state statue for the FCT.

They however lamented that former governors of states who have ordinarily developed their states after eight years, would not do so, rather they will embezzle their states money and run to Abuja for refuge.

“We are of the opinion that the FCT has been grossly polluted by political jobbers who do not mean well for the people of the Abuja. Also, there is the need to correct political anomaly in the territory, by ensuring that the FCT is given a complete recognition of a state, which part of it has been actualised through the establishment of FCT Civil Service Commission by President Bola Tinubu.

“So, the forum is calling on the federal government to accord Abuja a state status, to enable us to elect our own governor like other Nigerians in their various states. Because for over 41 years, several resettlements and relocation experiments have been carried out in the FCT by various governments, but no headway due to policy inconsistencies.

“The forum believes that if the natives and residents are allowed to elect their governor, members of the House of Assembly, and more local area councils created, there would be more accountability and development in the territory.

“The failure of the federal government to resettle, relocate and compensate our people at the initial cost of N2.8bn in 1978 has led to several policies summersaults. In spite of all the challenges, we are still here, and we are not prepared to go anywhere because we have nowhere to go.

The retired military and paramilitary forum stressed that the constitution should be amended to reflect cosmopolitan nature of Abuja.

“As retired military and paramilitary personnel, this is our own idea of restructuring, a restructuring based on devolution of governmental powers from federal authorities to Abuja city authorities.

“We no longer want the present military contraption, where a minister is appointed to run the Federal Capital Territory like a cantonment. We must change the constitution to reflect our wishes for a modern and cosmopolitan capital city,’’ the communique stated.