The Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), has called on the need for the Federal Government to put some political structures that will give the Original Inhabitants in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) relevance and recognition.
The Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, noted this in Abuja during the cultural rally of Nine tribes and 17 chiefdomes of the FCT Original Inhabitants noting that their culture and tradition must respected.
The United Nations designated August 9. 2023 as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The UN International Day of World Indigenous Peoples 2023 theme, Indigenous Youth as Change Agents for Self-Determination, aptly depicts the realities of Original Inhabitants’ struggles in the FCT.
He explained that Nigeria comprises of 36 states and each states vote for their governors and states but the FCT indigens were just onlookers because their rights have been denied .
“We are saying that the fundamental rights of these people can not be denied irrespective of the fact that they gave out their lands, which they were not compensated for .
“The Abuja is situated on over 8,000 kilometers of land . Out of this land, 2,000 Sq meters is a enough for the city centre and capital , the rest can be declared as a state where indigenous people can put in place structures, where they can elect their Assembly and Governor to precised over them .
” They should be given a sense of belonging because the FCT Federal cabinet represent all the 36 states including the FCT .
He said Nigerian State, which took over the ancestral lands of FCT indigenous peoples owes them a duty to support the preservation of their cultural treasures and repositories.
He said the FCT indigenous people have rich and vibrant cultural and art forms, which cannot be allowed to go into extinction.
He said such cultural treasures and craft forms like pottery, and traditional clothe-making passed down from generation to generation, would be the basis for a flourishing tourism industry, if properly harnessed. “These cultural treasures and repositories remain important sources of livelihoods for the indigenous population in the FCT”.
Also, the Executive Director of Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA), Mrs. Faith Nwadishi said the geographical location of Abuja and size is a enough to cover about 4 states and so there is need to put in place political structures.
