The Network of Journalists on Indigenous Issues, (NEJII) has called on President, Bola Tinubu to address some burning issues affecting the rights of Abuja Original Inhabitants, (AOIs).

NEJII also stressed the need for the Federal Government to urgently take immediate steps to deal with the lingering expectations of the original owners of Abuja to avoid a possible crisis.

In the letter addressed to the President by NEJII officials, Adewale Adeoye and Usman Bako, the letter was motivated by a weeklong tour of indigenous communities spread across over 800 locations in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT).

“We visited these ancient communities and we have a message for the President. The indigenous people face challenges that include but not limited to forceful displacement from their ancestral land, forceful occupation without compensation, destruction of ancient and sacred temples and ancestral worship places and the lack of political and economic recognition in the FCT.

The indigenous people of Abuja are Koro, Ganagana, Gbade, Ebira, Nupe, Gbayi, Bassa, Gwandara, Amwamwa and others. The group said the communities felt that by the single action of appointing Abuja indigenous person as a Federal Minister, the President has left a remarkable threshold with the impression that he understands the problem and can do more by addressing institutional and legal bottlenecks to the true freedom and prosperity of the people.

NEJII wrote Tinubu that Abuja Indigenous peoples are living in the most horrendous socio-political situation.

Though they own and live in Abuja, their children have no access to education, communities still fetch water from the filthy pond, youths have no jobs, communities have no access to health centres, the roads to rural communities are in terrible conditions and lately, trees and forests which are the sources of our health and energy to prepare food are being destroyed by various interests claiming to be representing the Government.

They have been driven to the extreme edge of human survival living in agony and anguish with hope being the main source of their survival. The letter was delivered to the Special Assistant to the President on Media, (SA) Media to the President, Mr Tunde Rahman.

The group said about three million Abuja Original Inhabitants live in the remotest areas of the FCT following their displacement by various governments since the 1976 Decree took over their ancestral land without their consent.

NEJII said the leaders of the Abuja ancestral people specifically requested the letter be delivered through Mr Rahman whom they said made selfless services in honest and truthful manner to promote and advocate for justice for the indigenous people while he was the Bureau Chief of The Punch Newspapers in Abuja.

The communities described Rahman as a ‘dedicated, hardworking, true, honest and God fearing person who live for the good of humanity and a great asset to Nigeria and the over three million indigenous people in the FCT.

NEJII said Abuja indigenous people are worried about the historic injustice meted to them since 1976 when the military Government of Gen. Murtala Mohammed moved the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja.

It added that the communities said the AOIs have been neglected, marginalised and treated as foreigners in their own birthplace.

They however commended the President for what they called his grand-breaking record in the appointment of an Abuja Indigenous person, Zephaniah Jisalo as a Federal Minister, being the first time in Nigerian history which they see as a milestone that cannot be forgotten so easily but that the AOIs are equally concerned about the need for institutional and legal changes that greatly empower the people.