... Alleges Tinubu,Wike Abandon Sideline Them in Appointments
Natives of the Federal Capital Territory have threatened to drag both the federal government and the authorities of the nation’s capital city to court over alleged violation of federal character principles in appointments of residents.
Already they have handed down a 30-day ultimatum for both arms of government to appoint residents particularly indigenes of the FCT to various positions at the federal level and the FCT Administration.
The Natives said failure to accede to their demand would leave them with no option than to seek redress by instituting a legal action to claim their rights as provided under the law of the land.
The indigenes, operating under the aegis of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization,AOIYEO, made their intention known in a letter to President Bola Tinubu, a copy of which was released to newsmen in Abuja.
Their letter to this effect was titled:”Letter of Intention to Sue on Failure to Uphold the Guiding Principles of the Federal Character in Appointments of Residents and Indigenous People of the FCT,at the Levels of Federal Government and the Federal Capital Territory Administrations.”
They said it was disheartening to them that the representation of the indigenes or residents of the FCT Abuja in the positions in nine established Mandate Secretariats was only one.
The letter was released by their solicitor,James Egah Ndeye of J.E Ndeye & Co. Chambers on behalf of Commandant Isaac David, President of AOIYEO.
“Take note that we have the further instructions of our client that should His Excellency fails, refuses and/or neglects to appoints residents particularly indigenes of the FCT to various positions at the Federal government level and the FCT Administration within 30 days with effect from the date of receipt of this letter in compliance with the provisions of the constitution and the Federal Character Coomission Act.
“We would be left with no option than to seek redress by instituting legal action in a court of competent jurisdiction to claim for our client and the entire people of the FCT Abuja their rights as provided under the law of our land,”the letter to President Bola Tinubu read.
The letter also read in part:”We act as Solicitors to the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organization (AOIYEO) an FCT Abuja indigenous non-governmental organization with the aim of protecting the interest of indigenous communities in the territory (herein after referred to as our Client) and on whose behalf and instructions we write this letter on the above subject matter.
“It would interest His Excellency to note that the Federal Capital Territory Administration assumed full operation in tandem with state structure by virtue of order No. 1, 2004 otherwise called the Federal Capital Territory (Establishment of Functionaries and Departments) and Ministry of Federal Capital Territory (Dissolution) Order No.1, 2004, Federal Capital Territory Act, CAP F6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 which created the nomenclatures of Chief of Staff to the Hon Minister akin to Secretary to a state Government and Mandate Secretaries akin to Commissioners of a state.
“The then President Olusegun Obasanjo exercised his powers and made the Order No.1, 2004 pursuant to the constitutional provisions of section 299 of the 1999 constitution and sections 14 and 18 of the FCT Act.
“It is disheartening to note your Excellency, that the representation of the indigenes or residents of the FCT Abuja in the above positions is only one out of the nine. Thus, from the inception of establishment of these functionary bodies in 2005 to date the Mandate Secretaries have all along been non-indigenes with only one representing the indigenes of the FCT, Abuja”.
