A Cohort of nine Civil Society Organizations advocating for the rights of the Original Inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has lamented the effects of the lingering Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) strikes on the Original inhabitants of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The group therefore called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), to quickly resolve the industrial actions taken by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and that of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), as the strikes have begun to take a toll on the basic rights of Original Inhabitants of the Nation’s Capital. The CSO’s of the Cohort stated that “As a cohort, we call for a speedy resolution of the issues that led to these strikes. Resolving these issues with immediate effect will accord Original Inhabitants and other residents in the FCT a continued enjoyment of key social services, which have been shut down since the disputes began”. The statement was jointly signed by ALL nine members of the Cohort, who expressed their anxiety over the strikes, while sending a call to action to all actors involved to heed to the fact that by their refusal to find lasting solutions to the said impasse, the basic rights of FCT Original Inhabitants; such as the right to quality basic education and healthcare services, are currently being denied.
They further lamented that since the strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers began in January, the public primary schools across the Area Councils have been closed resulting in a direct negative impact on the education of children in the FCT. They similarly stated that many parents who are not able to afford to send their children to private schools, are relying on the public school system which has now come to a complete halt. The civic groups also spoke about the effects that the downing of tools by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees over alleged non release of Area Council allocations by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has had on the Original inhabitants of the FCT by further compounding the plight of the people. The groups said key functions of the local governments, especially related to healthcare delivery at the grassroots level and the prevention or curtailing the spread of diseases, especially the COVID-19 virus, has been put on hold.
The CSO’s in the Cohort also stressed that It was imperative for all parties involved to note that given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has had on lives and livelihoods of Original Inhabitants, it is important that critical social services are not suspended and that they continue to be provided in better quality and quantity. They said: “The strikes have had a direct and disruptive effect on the lives of people already affected by the pandemic, making their plight more miserable.” The Cohort, which is currently implementing a two-year project that is focused on promoting the rights of the Original Inhabitants in the FCT applauded the ongoing efforts and recent steps towards reforms and citizens engagement by the Ministry of the Federal Capital Territory which includes town hall meetings, registration of land compensation claims and the setting up of new models for governance within the territory. The Cohort however expressed worries that the authorities have allowed industrial disputes to fester and undermine its commendable efforts at governance reform and citizen engagement. They groups therefore advised that if the situation is not quickly addressed, it could further worsen the plight of FCT Original Inhabitants who are already suffering from decades of historic marginalization and economic dislocation. The cohort therefore called for sustained efforts by the authorities to speedily resolve the issues at stake and restore peace and normalcy to the Area Councils and its people. Members of the Cohort working on the project of _Promoting the Rights of the Original Inhabitants in the FCT_ who signed the statement;
Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization, Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls, Centre for Environmental Sustainability & Development Awareness, Socio Economic Research and Development Centre, HipCity Innovation Center, Mairo Women Foundation, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, Association of FCT Traditional Rulers Wives and Helpline Foundation for the Needy. It is pertinent to add that the FCT was created upon the promulgation of Decree Number 6 of 1976. It came into existence due to a need to find a replacement for the capital city of Lagos which had become congested and had little space for expansion. FCT was carved out from parts of the states of old Kwara, Niger, Kaduna and Plateau States with the bulk of landmass carved out of Niger State. The FCT Abuja is Nigeria’s administrative and political capital. Human rights groups have been campaigning for the Original Inhabitants in the FCT to be fairly treated in terms of political inclusion and proper compensation after their ancestral lands were taken over to provide space for Nigeria’s capital. Such groups have argued that in the spirit of equity, fairness and inclusion Original Inhabitants in the FCT should enjoy the dividends of their contributions to the country. Civic organisations have called on the Nigerian government to provide Original Inhabitants with adequate social amenities such as quality healthcare, potable water, quality education, good roads, consistent power supply and much more.
