Civil society groups and representatives of the indigenous inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed deep concern over the continued socio-economic exclusion of indigenous peoples of Abuja in all schemes of things.
A statement from Journalists for Democratic Rights (JODER), one of the groups that met in Abuja to mark the United Nations World Day of Indigenous Peoples said the situation is a time bomb that should be addressed without delay.
The statement said hundreds of stakeholders celebrated the August 09 event in the FCT with a regional conference to promote the culture and heritage of all indigenous people. They insist that the land taken away from them represents the most significant historical injustice they suffer.
The statement reads: “Since 1976 when the Nigerian capital was moved from Lagos to Abuja, the original owners of the land claim have been subjected to all forms of socio-cultural repression. They said peanuts were paid to them which do not meet up to the worth of their land.
“In a communiqué issued at the end of the national stakeholders’ dialogue on Rights of Original inhabitants of FCT and signed by Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi and leaders of several civil society groups, the stakeholders said the bottled-up anger of indigenous peoples in the FCT should be addressed to avoid possible outbursts. The conference theme was ‘Building Resilience, Fostering Recovery: FCT Original Inhabitants and the Struggle for Social Justice’.
“The stakeholders said indigenous peoples are distinguished by their ancestral land, their distinct language, culture and time honoured values which are treasured and have been preserved for centuries.
“They noted that in Nigeria, the rights of indigenous peoples in the FCT are a major challenge in the search for sustainable development, peace and stability. The communiqué said ‘we are aware that the Original Peoples of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) are indigenous to their territories, their ancestral land which they have lived for centuries. They own the land; the land is their livelihood, dignity and pride; they have cultivated the land which is their greatest material and spiritual assets’.
“The participants noted that in 1976, the history of the Original People of FCT was deconstructed with the movement of the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja by the military government. The movement led to dramatic changes in sociology, land ownership, control and management effected through the military Decree 6, all of which affect the past, present and future of FCT indigenous peoples.
‘The indigenous people in FCT are recognised by their own history and values backed by international instruments including but not limited to International Convention in Indigenous Peoples, the ILO Convention 168 all of which emphasise the protection of indigenous peoples including their intellectual and cultural property.
“The indigenous peoples in the FCT have been consistently denied their right to land and capacity to own property in a territory that historically belongs to them. Other forms of discrimination and exclusion manifest through denial of access to ancestral land, lack of economic, political, cultural opportunities and identities, denial of statehood, denial of access to utilities like health, quality education and job opportunities.”
The conference, which was organised by Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civil Education (CHRICED) and the MacArthur Foundation, was attended by hundreds of people, traditional rulers from the various kingdoms, government officials, civil society organisations (CSOs) such as Environmental Rights Action (ERA), JODER, and members of the FCT Original Inhabitant Association, which include the nine indigenous ethnic groups in the capital, namely the Gbwari, Koro, Bassa, Ebira, Ganagana, Nupe, Gade, Gwandara and Dibo.
Personalities who attended the event include the Executive Director of CHRICED, Ibrahim Zikirullahi; Prof A B Ahmed of the Faculty of Law, Bayero University; the Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency and Accountability (CTA), Alhaji Ismaila Danladi Mohammed.
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