Natives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have debunked the insinuation that almost all natives have been compensated by the federal government, and that they do not deserved any other reward of FCT Minister portfolio from the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The natives made this known in a letter signed by Barr. Dara Zhidu of Lamilo Chambers (Musa Baba-Panya & Associates) titled, ‘Open Letter to Mr. Babajide Kolade-Otitoju on Ignorant Assertions Against FCT Natives,’ dated August 14, 2023, sent to CAN,
Abuja Renewed Hope Ambassadors (ARHA), Mandate FCT, Abuja Indigenous Liberation Movement, AOIYEO, Original Inhabitants Development Association of Abuja, Macarthur Foundation among other groups.
The natives lamented that they watched and listened to the discussion of Mr. Kolade-Otitoju on Ministerial Appointment of FCT Native during TVC News Journalist Hangout on Thursday, morning August 10, 2023 where he stated that there are no indigenes of Abuja in FCT.
Zhidu further explained that over 90 percent of FCT natives still remain not compensated, explaining that the FCT was carved out from former states of Niger Kwara and plateau which are now Nasarawa and Kogi states, that 80percent land mass came from Niger state and barely 1percent came from the then Kwara state now Kogi state.
“Then unfortunately, as history has shown, instead of subsequent governments to keep faith with the founders, Murtala, Gawon and others, by actually resettling the natives, what has now happened is that subsequent governments have failed to compensate and resettle the indigenes.
“So only barely 5percent of indigenes were resettled particularly the inhabitants of Wuse which was the largest community then that was moved to now Sabon-Wuse in Tafa local government of Niger state along Abuja-Kaduna express.
According to the natives, for any one to say there are no indigenes in FCT is not true, the then military government decreed section 13 of decree No. 6, 1976 and fraudulently vested all lands in the FCT into the hands of the federal government absolutely without first paying compensation.
“That section was smuggled into 1979 constitution as Section 256 (1) of the 1979 constitution and it was further smuggled into the 1999 constitution as Section 297 (2) of the 1999 constitution in a modified version,” the letter stated.
(Courtesy:BluePrint)
