Guardian

A GROUP in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) known as Original Inhabitants Development Association (IODA) has called on the Federal Government to correct what it described as mistakes of the past and create a state so that the people could elect their governor and National Assembly members, as is the case in other states of the federation.

The group lamented that the original inhabitants of the FCT are now living without proper representation on the political scene and with no placement in both regular and military schools across the country.

Speaking at the FCT Heritage Day held at the weekend, Musa Salihu, a former INEC Commissioner, said FCT should be made the 37th state of Nigeria with a governor and minister. He lamented that indigenes of the FCT always find it difficult to gain admission into military institutions because their admissions are always based on presentation of a certificate of state of origin which is not given to FCT candidates since they neither have a state nor governor to give it to them.

He added that the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has never recognised FCT as a state for the purpose of its admissions and as such the territory has remained the only federating unit in Nigeria that is not placed in the catchment area of federal universities, including the University of Abuja.

According to Salihu, appointment at the federal level has become lopsided as no indigene of the FCT is on any board as well as the federal executive council. He attributed the situation to inability of past administrations to adhere strictly to the original policy to totally evacuate and resettle them outside the territory. He called for establishment of the Federal Territory House of Assembly comprising of 23 members and a mayoral council of 10 members headed by an elected mayor.

In his welcome address, the president of the association, Danladi Jedi, said the day was meant to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the nine indigenous tribes of the FCT and would only be wise if those in the helm of affairs could give them their rightful place alleging that their rights have been usurped for too long.

He called on President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately relinquish his power as the governor of the FCT, and the National Assembly to also relinquish its powers as the House of Assembly for the FCT. He said this would allow the people to be able to make laws to govern themselves.

“As the nation embarks on another constitutional review, we are calling for the democratisation of governance structures in the FCT where our people are given the powers to elect their governor and members of an instituted FCT House of Assembly. We also need additional senatorial districts and House of Representatives constituencies to fit our huge population.”