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One of Nigeria’s leading and respected Emirs, HRH Alhaji Ismaila Mohammed, on Tuesday, renewed calls for the Federal Government to tackle the root causes of marginalisation and violation of the rights of the original inhabitants of Abuja.
According to the Emir of Karshi, doing this would avert a looming security crisis in the nation’s capital, which may be worse than the devastation witnessed in the days of militancy by youths in the Niger-Delta region.
The traditional ruler warned that the enemies of Nigeria could find willing recruits among the distraught youths to use as agents to destroy the peace in the Federal Capital Territory unless the issue behind the social discrimination and political exclusion of the people were addressed urgently.
The Emir gave the warning while speaking at the N800m Grant Signing Ceremony for the Project of Promoting the Rights of the Original Inhabitants of the FCT, awarded by the MacArthur Foundation.
He said, “For the past 45 years since the FCT was created, other Nigerians have lived with us very peacefully in Abuja, but I think Nigerians have taken this for granted. If you know what is happening around the country, you will thank us for being very accommodating in spite of what the law says.
“Our youths are becoming more conscious of these decades-long issues of marginalisation, discrimination, and other forms of human rights violations against us.
“Therefore, it is in everyone’s interest to recognize the original inhabitants of Abuja, respect them and give the people their due so that we don’t end up with another crisis in the nation’s capital.
“Even now, we have been asking the youths to calm down. They are seeing what is happening with the amnesty programme in the Niger-Delta region, where militants are given money to stop them from sabotaging oil production. Our youths see these things and they are asking questions.”
The royal, however, noted that there were lacunas in the 1999 Constitution, which has been responsible for the plight of the original inhabitants of Abuja, and said he would like the National Assembly to amend the identified Sections of the supreme law of the land.
Consequently, he blamed past federal regimes for failing to promote and protect the political, economic and cultural rights of the FCT natives, saying President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration should not make the same mistakes.
“The only way to avert the looming crisis is by Justice. Anywhere there is no justice be rest assured there will be no peace. We are, therefore, pleading let them give our people their due, so that we will live in peace and other Nigerians can feel safe with all the wealth they have in Abuja.
“We also appeal to other Nigerians to support us and give us our rightful place in the scheme of things, so that we don’t end us having another Niger-Delta region here in Abuja, the very centre of Nigeria. That is our prayer,” he added.
Speaking in the same vein, the Executive Director of Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education, CHRICED, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, whose organisation facilitated the grant, said the grants covered a diversity of initiatives, which would collectively address the injustices meted against the original inhabitants of Abuja, while supporting an equitable recovery from the devastation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, “While some of the projects address the political participation of the Original Inhabitants, others are focused on economic and cultural issues, with a deliberate focus on the needs of marginalized groups, including those of women, the youth and people living with disabilities.”
In his remarks, the Director, Africa Office of the MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Kole Shettima, the project, which is in line with the organization’s commitment to Gender and Social Inclusion (GESI) in development programing.
He said the aim was to support the people’s long struggle for justice, equity and fairness, within the context of the political, economic and cultural evolution of Nigeria.
