THE PLIGHT AND POSITION OF THE ABUJA ORIGINAL INHABITANTS.

We the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Organization, are an Organization with the Mandate of the original inhabitants (Gbagyi, Gbari, Gade, Ganagana, Amwamwa, Bassa, Egbira, Gwandara and Koro) of Abuja in particular, and FCT in General, with the aim and objective of protecting our rights and the interests on our land and its resources; as it relates to Property Protection, Identity, Utilization of Empowerment Opportunities, Environmental Protection, Preservation of our Rich Cultural Heritage, Safety of Lives and Property, Education and Sensitization on government programmes, mineral resources and other policies of government.

1. HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE: The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,

began in 1976 with the military regime of Gen. Murtala Muhammed which decided that Lagos, which was then Nigeria's Capital, had become so over-crowded as both Political and Commercial Capital of Nigeria. Consequently, Gen. Murtala Muhammed on August 9th,1975, set up a committee headed by Dr. Akinola Aguda to advice the government on the suitability of Lagos to continue the role of Nigeria's capital,-as well as a new location suitable to replace Lagos as Capital. Dr. Akinola Aguda committee who toured Nigeria for this purpose, recommended Abuja as a suitable replacement as Nigeria's Capital. On July 6th, Gen. Murtala Muhammed promulgated the decree No 6 of 1976 making Abuja Nigeria's new capital.

2. COMPENSATION/ RESETTLEMENT: The spirit of Decree No 6 of 1975 was that the ORIGINAL SETTLERS in Abuja were to be compensated and relocated to the adjoining States to the new FCT. However, in 1978, the government of Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo saw the assessment of ₦2.8billion estimated for the compensation of the Original Settlers before their relocation out of the New FCT as too big for government to pay. Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo decided that such amount was better spent on infrastructural development of the FCT.

3. NEW KARU/ OLD KARU, President Shehu Shagari who came to power in 1979, tried to effect the compensation and relocation policy hence a site was acquired at the Plateau State to relocate the indigenous people of KARU, FCT as the first, test case. But only a few family from KARU FCT benefited and were relocated to the new site that became known as NEW KARU and the while majority of people at KARU FCT were waiting for their compensation and relocation, the Federal Government said there was no more money to continue the compensation and resettlement policy. What became clear was that the Federal Government had administratively decided on total but gradual evacuation of the Original Settlers and owners of the FCT as development approaches each village and settlement.

4. OUR TRAUMATIC CONDITIONS: Consequent upon the government's policy of total, gradual evacuation of our people from the FCT, we have been subjected to traumatic deprivations such as:

A. Our land totally but gradually being taken from us by successive Federal Government through Federal Capital Territory Administration.

B. We are continually denied representation in the Federal Cabinet.

C. When Governorship elections are taking place in other states, in Nigeria, we, the Abuja Original Inhabitants only watch these on T.V. as there was never governorship elections in the FCT.

D. While elections into Local Governments Councils are contested for by people indigenous to such LGAs in all the States in Nigeria, elections into the Area Councils in Abuja are contested for by all Nigerians resident in the FCT.

5. VALUE OF LAND: Land means different things to variety of society segments, depending on outlook,

I. Land, to an ordinary man, is a territorial free gift from God, upon which he exercises his daily activities.

II. Land, to an Agriculturist, is the medium of production and sustenance.

III. Land, to the legal person, is a natural repository of wealth based on legal ownership which are exercised by rights.

IV. Land, to politicians, means people and their votes.

To us, the Original Inhabitants of Abuja, land represents the future; land represents wealth; land represents health; land represents freedom and land represents everything. It is land that makes a people a community. Can anyone imagine what the consequences will be if communities in the Niger Delta are deprived of their lands in the manner it is meted out to the Original Inhabitants of the FCT? People will do everything including supreme sacrifice to defend their ancestral land. God created the land and out of land, God created man.

6. OUR RESOLVE: Few months ago, our people defied bullets from the police when they protested the demolition of their settlements and acquisition of their land perpetrated by land racketeers. The people of Abuja are known for farming and crafts-making. But with the coming of the Federal Capital Territory to Abuja, our people have been deprived of their farm lands.

7. THE WORSENING PLIGHT OF ABUJA ORIGINAL INHABITANTS:

A. Due to the activities of the FCTA environmental enforcement agents, our mothers, these days, can no longer hawk their farm produce harvested from the remaining parcels of land waiting to be taken by the takers.

B. Our mothers and youths who hawk food and snacks are now seen and treated as environmental nuisance who are routinely molested with seizures and destruction of their wares by the environmental enforcers. Yet, there are never any sustainable measures put in place to engage them in gainful employments.

C. While other States in Nigeria are sending over 500 students overseas for sound education and training, the FCT Scholarship Board is poorly funded. Consequently, our youths who are willing and are qualified for such training are handicapped and stranded. Those in some institutions here in Nigeria, are perennially awaiting sponsorship.

D. The FCT indigenous slots for employments in the Federal Civil Service are being taken by Non-Indigenes through illegal activities. We are calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to join the advocacies of Abuja Original Inhabitants to let the govt. look into all the injustices to which we have, for too long, been subjected. It is at the interest of peaceful co-existence and stability for our plight to be positively addressed. We urge you to solicit on our behalf at your different levels of work place as this new government emerge atleast A MINISTERIAL APPOINTMENT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO FCT NATIVE for the very first time in the history of Nigeria.


Yunusa Ahmadu Yusuf
(Buhun Barkonun Abuja)
Secretary – General
Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Organization