By Michael Oche
Stakeholders, including Civil society organisations (CSOs) have said the campaign for the promotion of the rights of the indigenous people of Abuja has started getting required attention both locally and internationally.
They made the observation on Wednesday in Abuja at an event tagged the “Grand Cultural Rally in commemoration of the United Nations World Indigenous Peoples Day 2023”, with the theme, Indigenous Youths as Agents of Change for Self-determination”.
Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi while speaking to journalists at the event said, “just recently…we have seen that an indigene of the FCT has been appointed as a minister. That means the original inhabitants now have a place at the highest decision-making organ of the government, which is the FEC (Federal Executive Council).”
Our Correspondent reports that it is the first time an indigenous person from Abuja will be appointed Minister since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
The CTA, where Nwadishi is executive Director had joined other CSOs under a campaign sponsored by MacArthur foundation through CHRICED to lead an advocacy on promoting the rights of Abuja Original Inhabitants.
“So we are saying some of those campaigns we have joined the people to carry on are beginning to be recognized at the international level and at the national level,” Nwadishi noted.
She, however, urged the National Assembly to revisit the bill on mayoral status for the FCT.
She said: “The assembly should look at that again now that the President has given an ‘olive branch’ by appointing an FCT indigene as a minister.
“The landscape of the FCT is more than about two to three states put together, even in population.
“At the national assembly, we have one representative in the Senate, but every other state in Nigeria has three representatives and at the House of Representatives constituents have up to three, five representatives.
“But the FCT has two representatives. So even if you bring a bill to the national assembly with one senator, you can imagine you are bringing a bill with one senator, the strength of influence is limited because it’s one person.”
She said that contrary to public perception that the FCT was “a no-man’s land”, there were nine indigenous tribes living in the capital city.”
The 9th of August every year is set aside to celebrate indigenous people across the world. The celebration allows stakeholders to bring to the table the issues that indigenous people are facing everywhere.
For Abuja Original Inhabitants, this year’s celebration allowed them the opportunity to showcase their rich cultural display to the delight of many Abuja residents who came to the Old Parade ground to witness the event.
“A day like this is very important in the life of the Original Inhabitants of the FCT,”
Executive Director, CHRICED Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi said.
He said further that, “We feel very strongly that the violation of their rights and their statelessness needs to be addressed.
“And those critical aspects of their lives cannot be addressed without resuscitating their culture.
“That is why we took advantage of UN International Day for World Indigenous Peoples to celebrate them, to get them to display their culture and let the whole world know that they are still very much in existence in the FCT.”
Also speaking, Usman Halilu the Galadima of Jiwa, said: “Now we are being considered, and the ministerial position has been given, what is left for us is to get the mayoral seat.
“We will continue to struggle, making friends, making contacts within, definitely one day, there will be a mayoral seat for the FCT,” he said
