Aggrieved indigenes of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on
Tuesday petitioned the Senate over alleged neglect of the area in
the nomination and appointment of ministers.
The FCT indigenes in the petition endorsed by the Leader,
Coalition of FCT indigenous Associations, Ezekiel Dalhatu Musa,
asked the Senate to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari, to
recognise the FCT in the appointment of ministers.
The petition marked “A petition on the gross violation and utter
disregard for the constitution in appointment of federal ministers
by President Muhammadu Buhari” was presented by the Senator
representing FCT, Senator Philip Aduda.
The petitioners said, “Recall that the non-inclusion of an FCT
native in the ministerial appointments since our current democratic
dispensation has been a matter of national discourse with some
citing constitutional lacuna as the factor responsible for the
non-appointment of an FCT native as minister into the Federal
Executive Council while we as natives have never enjoined such
school of thought as the barrier hindering our political inclusion
and democratization of the FCT.
“Our advocacy on the inclusion of FCT native has been a loud
agitation and we write to inform the National Assembly as the
people’s assembly to wade into our ceaseless calls to Mr. President
to appoint one of our own into the highest decision-making council
in this country.
“Even though our belief holds that the President could appoint
any of us as a minister into his cabinet requires just political
will and demonstration of equity and fairness to the Abuja Original
Inhabitants, we have gone legally and lawfully to garner more
constitutional backing by challenging the perceived lacuna and a
Court of Appeal which is of competent jurisdiction to hear this
matter.
“It granted judgement mandating the President to as a matter of
justice appoint FCT native immediately into his cabinet since 15th
January, 2018 while the President has been served this Judgement by
the Court of Appeal since 22nd March, 2018 but yet the President
has not complied with the judgement.
“We are once more seeking your intervention and the intervention
of the highly revered Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to
come to our aid because we are perceiving hatred against us from
the President who is supposed to be a father to all.
“A prompt appointment of an FCT native into the Federal
Executive Council as minister will not tear nor under develop this
country but will rather enrich and strengthen our democratic belief
as a nation.
“We have kept peace with everybody in this city and we don’t
intend to change the status because we are a lawfully enlightened
people and we appeal to you as the number three citizen and
representative of the people to come to our aid and prevail on Mr.
President to appoint an FCT native as a minister.
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FCTA to Revoke Undeveloped Plots of Land in
Abuja
The FCT Administration has identified several undeveloped plots
of land in serviced districts of the Phases I, II & III of the
Federal Capital City, Abuja and has given the owners three months
grace period to act or risk revocation.
The FCT Director of Land Administration, Mallam Adamu Jibrin
Hussaini made this disclosure on Tuesday in his office, at Central
Business District, Abuja.
The Director further disclosed that this was one of the
highpoints of the Federal Capital Territory Executive Committee
(FCT EXCO) meeting recently.
According to him, “the Allottees of plot (s) of land within
Phases I, II & III of the Federal Capital City (FCC) that have
been serviced with Infrastructure should take major steps to
develop them or have them revoked”.
The Director said that the FCT EXCO frowned at the
non-development of such plots; stressing that “government has
expended huge amount of money to open up those Districts by
providing the engineering infrastructure and would not afford to be
left fallow”.
He stated that the FCT EXCO used this opportunity to remind the
public, particularly the affected allottees that their failure to
carry out development of such plot (s) contravenes the terms of
Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) accepted by the allottees as well as
the provision of Section 28(5)(a & b) of the Land Use Act N0. 6
of 1978, Cap. L5, Laws of the Federation of the Nigeria 2004.
Mallam Hussaini warned that the affected allottees must do
something drastic to avoid the impending revocation, due to
non-development of such property in the nation’s capital city,
Abuja.
The Director revealed that FCT Administration has therefore,
given such allottees a grace period of three (3) months to commence
meaningful development or have such plot (s) revoked.
SULE HARUNA
Information & Customer Service, AGIS/Lands