ABUJA NATIVES CONGRATULATE BUHARI ON
VICTORY: SEEKS APPOINTMENT OF
INDIGENOUS FCT MINISTER, SCRAPPING OF
LANDSWAP
Natives of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
under the banner of the Original Inhabitants
Development Association of Abuja, OIDA have
congratulated the President-Elect, General
Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President-Elect,
Professor Yemi Osibanjo on their victory in the
March 28 polls.
In a statement by the President of the
association, Pastor Danladi Jeji, the pan-FCT
socio-cultural group said the victory is a right
step towards the fulfilment of the aspiration of
Nigerians through the ballot box. They want the
incoming All Progressives Congress-led Federal
Government to ensure that all Nigerians have a
say in the people-elected government.
“The election of Gen. Buhari is the fulfilment of
our aspiration for a people-centered government
and we will offer maximum support to the
incoming federal government which we are
optimistic will have policies that will benefit not
only original inhabitants of Abuja but also all
Nigerians resident in the capital city” OIDA said.
The natives are asking the President-Elect to
appoint competent natives of Abuja as Minister
of the Federal Capital Territory and political
aides so that the incoming government will not
have a crisis of confidence between it and Abuja
original inhabitants.
The statement adds that Abuja original
inhabitants want “the immediate scrapping of the
Landswap programme of the outgoing minister of
FCT, Bala Mohammed because it is a conduit
pipe for allocation of massive lands to cronies of
the outgoing PDP-led federal government. We
also seek a total audit of land allocations by the
Abuja Geographic and Information System,
AGIS.”
OIDA stated that the natives have “fought and
endured injustice for long in the administration of
the outgoing PDP-led Federal Government
especially on the protracted issues of land-grab,
demolition of native houses, non-development of
satellite towns, marginalization in appointments,
non-compensation of compulsorily acquired lands
and massive sacking of whole villages for the
appropriation of their lands by selfish politicians
and their cronies in government. We have the
confidence in the ability of your government to
end these injustices.”
The group urged the APC-led Federal
Government to create a development
commission to cater for displaced indigenous
communities in Abuja. “The proposed Abuja
Original Inhabitants Development Commission
(AOIDC) should be statutory and derive its
funding from 30% of all sales accruing from
allocable lands within the FCT. When
established, AOIDC should deal with the lingering
issues of relocation, resettlement and
compensation for all project affected
communities and persons.”
The pan-FCT group also commended President
Goodluck Jonathan for accepting defeat and
saving the nation from crises that may have
occured if the election had not been conducted
according to international best practices. They
wished him the best of luck in his future
endeavours.
Formally welcoming the President-Elect and his
vice to the nation’s seat of power, the natives
urged General Buhari not to let Nigerians down
considering the massive votes given to him by
citizens from all parts of Nigeria including the
natives of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.