NAPIMS
By Luminous Jannamike, Abuja

Ten civil groups advocating the political, economic, and cultural rights of the original inhabitants of Abuja, have expressed disappointment over the National Assembly’s rejection of a proposal to create the office of a Mayor for the nation’s capital.

They also lamented the lawmakers’ vote against the nomination of a Minister from the FCT to the Federal Executive Council, and the allocation of a specific number of seats in the National Assembly to women during the recent plenary sessions by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the 68 proposed amendments to the 1999 constitution.

The 10 civil society organisations include the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education, Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization, Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives, Mairo Women Foundation and Helpline Foundation for the Needy.

Others are Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Development Awareness, Socio-Economic Research and Development Centre, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, and HipCity Innovation Centre.

At a joint briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Director of CHRICED, Dr Ibrahim Zikirullahi, who spoke on behalf of the CSOs, regretted that the failure of the proposed constitutional amendments which sought to advance the rights of the original inhabitants of the FCT implied that the hardships, political marginalisation, and economic deprivation experienced by them and women across the country would continue.

He added, “The Constitution Review process represented a golden opportunity for fundamental reforms in the nation’s Constitution. Citizens pleaded for changes that would address pressing issues while also putting the country on a path to stability and social justice.

“If issues strongly advocated by people at the grassroots are unable to see the light of day in the constitution review process, what is the point of junketing and wasting scarce resources across the country in the name of constitution review hearings? We believe that the people are being used in this way to legitimize the political class’s preconceived agenda.

“Despite these discouraging results, we urge Original Inhabitants in the FCT not to give up hope. The failure of these proposals to gain traction opens the door to much more comprehensive engagements that would address key issues such as statelessness and the lack of a robust sub-national framework for democratic governance.

“There is also the possibility of taking the story of the Original Inhabitants to the international community, where pressure can be applied to persuade political actors to act.

“In the end, the outcome of the constitutional review vote serves as another reminder of the importance of citizens electing credible, purposeful, and empathetic leaders to fill all spheres of governance.

“As the countdown to the 2023 elections begins, we urge all citizens who want to see a change to participate in the electoral process and contribute to the emergence of humane leaders who will listen to and address the fundamental issues affecting all citizens security and welfare.”