Hon. Inombek Abiante, a member of the House of Representatives, has called on Nigerians to rise and speak out against all forms of oppression, regardless of any biases.
The lawmaker made this call on Monday during a meeting between the House of Representatives Committee on the FCT Area Councils and Ancillary Matters and members of the FCT Traditional Council in Abuja.
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He was responding to comments made by his colleague, Hon. Jonathan Gwefwi, who criticized the way the original inhabitants of the FCT are being displaced under the guise of resettlement.
“It is deeply troubling how the people are being exploited. The residents of the FCT have no other home but the FCT.”
The lawmaker highlighted several resettlement programs that have failed to benefit the indigenous people, urging that past initiatives have not yielded positive results for them.
He further called on the traditional rulers, led by the Chairman of the FCT Traditional Council, HRH Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, to remain steadfast in protecting the interests of their communities, emphasizing their responsibility to defend the people they were entrusted to safeguard.
Taking the opportunity to speak out, Abainte criticized the government for the ongoing deprivation of the Niger Delta people, particularly condemning the recent declaration of a State of Emergency in Rivers State. He described the move as oppressive and contrary to the wishes of the people.
It has happened in Rivers State, and yet no one is speaking out. If we remain silent in the face of injustice today, tomorrow there may be no one left to speak on our behalf when injustice strikes again. Today, it affects you, but it’s spreading, and soon it will reach everyone,” he said.
The lawmaker also reflected on Nigeria’s early oil exploration days, noting that it was initially a private venture led by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which was progressing well. However, the situation changed when Nigeria nationalized the petroleum sector, turning it into a state asset. This move, he argued, laid the foundation for many of the challenges the nation faces today.
